


The Fight for Redemption

by LynxRyder



Category: Marvel (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Action, Asgard, Brothers, Chitauri - Freeform, Drama, Earth, F/M, Hope, Redemption, Sporadic appearances by other Avengers, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-13
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 04:32:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 44,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/682800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LynxRyder/pseuds/LynxRyder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Imprisoned on Asgard for his crimes on Earth, it is forbidden to speak Loki's name but Thor has not given up on his brother. When his attempts to create a new Bifrost using the tesseract fail Thor decides to seek Loki's help while, back on Earth, Jane makes plans of her own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beneath The Surface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a story I finished a few months ago. I will be posting it in its entirety over the next few days.

 

Chapter One - Beneath The Surface

 

The city of Asgard shone in the darkness. It was a beacon of hope, a symbol of glory and civilisation yet Thor, steeped in his own troubled thoughts, saw only the path he wished to take, nothing more. Time was mocking him, sailing past while he made no progress on the mission that consumed him. The tesseract glowed but no one could harness its power. The portal that would deliver him back to Earth remained closed. On and on he worked, his increasing desperation giving rise to frustration and furious bouts of temper. He had promised Jane that he would return and when he had done so it had been to bring an end to a war, he had not even seen a glimpse of her. Was Jane still waiting for him? How much longer before she gave up? There was a way, he had seen the portal held open by the tesseract's energy. There had to be way. Someone knew the secret, someone who occupied Thor's thoughts as much, if not more, than Jane.

Bringing Loki back to Asgard had been the only option, Thor had known that and he knew it still but he could not help wishing that there had been another way. Loki had put up no resistance. Of course, bound and weapon less there was not a lot he could do but Thor was a little unnerved by the peaceful way Loki submitted to his fate. The only betrayal of his true feelings came as Thor took him by the arm to bring him before Odin. Loki had shuddered at Thor's touch and for a moment their eyes had locked. Even now, Thor was unable to forget what he had seen as his brother looked back at him. Odin, on the other hand, could not bring himself to look upon Loki the disgraced for longer than it took to banish him to the furthest prison in the kingdom. Thor had stood beside a kneeling Loki, a pain pressing under his ribs, as the council poured venom and scorn upon one who had once dreamed of ruling them. He had wanted to appeal to his father's mercy then but Odin's rage was such that Thor had let the desire to challenge him ebb away. Odin had stood to deliver his final judgement and he had seemed to tower over Loki who remained absolutely still, his eyes fixed on the ground at Odin's feet.

"You will be imprisoned alone. Contact with you shall be forbidden. The evil in you will surrender to darkness and silence. There will be no one for you to rule, no one to play against, no one to listen to your scheming. And when you think you cannot endure it any longer you will remember that this is your punishment for the path you chose. There will be no forgiveness, no redemption, no light to ease your soul. You, who were once my son, will be forgotten. Take him."

Loki was not given a chance to speak and was led away in heavy silence. He was sure to have still been in earshot when Odin clapped Thor on the back, a forced smile lighting his severe features.

"And you, my son," he boomed loud enough for all to hear, "God of Thunder, hero of Earth, how are we to reward your selflessness and bravery?"

If only Thor had voiced then what had been in his heart. Perhaps then Loki could have been saved.

 

* * *

 

It was a perfectly clear night and the view above her was breathtakingly beautiful. Standing the middle of the desert, the engine of her jeep cut and no other human activity for miles, Jane almost felt part of the heavens as they danced slowly across the sky. She rolled her neck, easing out the stiffness that was so quick to develop in her muscles these days, and prepared to pick out the star which she would imagine to be Asgard. She knew she could not really see it, that it was too far away for even the most advanced telescopes to pick up, but she liked to pretend. She picked a star at random and focused on it, willing her love to travel to it and beyond, willing him to feel it.

"I'm still here." She spoke out loud, her complete aloneness erasing any trace of self-consciousness. "I'm still waiting for you, Thor."

She blinked, feeling her insignificance in the face of the heavens.

"Please don't forget about me. I miss you so much."

She stared up at her chosen star until it blurred with the others. She did not cry every time but when she did the tears poured from her like desert rain.

It took a while before she felt composed enough to begin the drive home and even then she found herself brushing stray tears from her cheeks at regular intervals. She knew it was getting ridiculous. Colleagues and friends were worried about her. Darcy and Erik, who knew the whole story, remained supportive but Jane could tell that even they were beginning to question whether holding onto such an impossible dream was wise. After all, Thor had come back, hadn't he? He had fought a war alongside other heroes and they had been victorious. Jane had remained glued to the coverage alongside the rest of the world. Her first thought, even while buildings were exploding and an alien race threatened to take control of humanity, was to get to him. She still believed that if there had been a way to reach him she would have done it, no matter how high the risk, but there had been no way, all transport had been shut down and anyone moving anywhere was heading in the opposite direction to the source of the nightmare. When it was over, and the rest of the world was reeling in shock or beginning to celebrate, Jane had waited, certain beyond doubt that he would come to her. He would explain how he had managed to return to Earth and how he had known they were in trouble but first, he would remind her of the sweetness she had missed so sharply. Darcy had kept her updated with all the wild rumours and unfounded speculation that flooded through the media but Jane had listened to nothing but the wild beating of her heart. She had remained positive, her nerves primed with hope, right up until Erik's phone call.

"Jane," he had said without preamble, "I have such a story to tell you but first, you must know that Thor has returned to Asgard. You might have thought it possible that..."

But Jane had dropped the phone, the rest of his words lost to the air. As Darcy scrambled to pick it up, Jane tried to walk away but her knees went from under her, all the breath gone from her lungs.

Erik had flown up to see them the next day. He had explained everything while Darcy hovered in the background, her worry emanating from her in waves.  
"He had to go, Jane," Erik had said, his hand gently cradling hers, "He had to return Loki to Asgard."

Jane had nodded numbly. Loki had tried to subjugate the Earth, of course he could not stay put while Thor reunited with her. He had to go, she understood. There were many things that had to take priority over love, a great many things.

"He will come back," said Erik, "Of that I am certain. His only wish is to protect you."

"Protect me," Jane had repeated weakly, "Yes, I know."

Thor had fought his brother to protect her so why was it that she felt so stripped and exposed and hurt? If the choice was always going to be between loving and protecting her, was she destined to be alone forever?

 

* * *

 

"It is impossible!" cried Sif angrily.

"It is not," said Thor without taking his eyes from the glowing tesseract, "I have seen it."

"Then we are missing something crucial," said Sif, grabbing Thor's arm to get him to focus on her.

"You are giving up too easily," said Thor dismissively. Sif glared at him.

"You are obsessed with finding a new bridge," she said, her words hard, "And the obsession is changing you."

"We need a bridge," Thor shot back, "We must be able to pass between the realms."

"We?" said Sif pointedly, "Or just you?"

Thor forced his rising temper back down inside him and turned back to the tesseract.

"If you need to take a break, I will understand."

Behind him, Sif sighed.

"Thor, I am worried about you. What is it that motivates this quest? Is it truly your desire to unite the Realms? Or is there something else?"

Thor did not answer.

"You are surely not still pining for the human woman? I thought such a thing would have burnt itself out by now."

Thor stiffened.

"Oh Thor, I had no idea."

Sif's sudden sympathy was worse somehow than her irritation.

"We need not discuss it," he snapped.

Without another word Sif resumed her position at his side, picking up the tools she had been using to adjust the tesseract's position and leaning in to study it closely, its blue aura painting her face. They worked for some time in silence, both of them knowing they were getting nowhere. Finally, Thor broke. Throwing his tools down he gave a loud shout of frustration and stormed from the room. It was useless, Sif was right, they had to be missing something. Feeling crushed by disappointment, Thor headed to the balcony, his throbbing head craving cool, fresh air. He had just leaned against the low wall when he heard footsteps behind him. Sif had followed him. She joined him, settling herself against the wall a little way from him. Together they looked out at the kingdom before them.

"Is this really not enough for you?"

Sif's voice floated across to him, notes of sadness in an unfinished melody.

"It is not war, I seek," Thor replied, "I am wiser now."

"That was not my question," said Sif, "But I can tell you do not wish to answer me. Very well. I will leave you alone."

She turned to leave, her long dark hair rippling behind her, but Thor called her back.

"I have been thinking," he said cautiously, "We need help with the tesseract, that much is clear."

"Yes," said Sif, "But who can we ask?"

Thor met her eyes deliberately.

"There is one," he said.

Sif's face paled.

"No," she whispered, "We are forbidden to speak of him and for good reason."

"And yet he could help us, could he not?"

Sif shifted uncomfortably, checking that no one else was listening.

"Thor, you know better than anyone that Loki cannot be trusted."

"Do you not think his imprisonment may have changed him?" Thor countered, "He has been alone for a very long time."

"I am not sure that will have improved things," said Sif, concern clouding her face, "Rather the opposite. Besides, your father would never agree."

"We shall see."

Sif's eyes widened.

"You mean to ask him?"

Thor nodded.

"Thor, you cannot be serious. You risk angering him for nothing."

"Nothing?" repeated Thor, his temper rising again, "I mean to unite the Realms and offer my brother a chance at redemption, do you truly call that nothing?"

Sif motioned for him to quieten himself.

"You heard your father at the sentencing," she whispered keenly, "He believes Loki to be beyond redemption."

"And you?" Thor asked, "What do you believe?"

Sif met his blazing look with a sad one of her own.

"I have known you both for so long. I remember a time when you were equals. There are things I wish I could undo, pains that I wish Loki had never had to feel but he chose his path just as you chose yours and I will never forgive him for turning against you. I wish I could believe there was hope for him, Thor, but I do not."

Thor watched her raise her chin, bracing herself for the retaliatory attack. He raised his hands to indicate that he had no desire to fight.

"I did not think you would agree with me," he said softly, "I only hoped."

He turned back to look out at the city. Voices were rising from somewhere in the palace, strands joining in an intricate song.

"I cannot hate him, Sif," said Thor, at last, when he sensed her draw close once more, "I feel his imprisonment like a burden on my own soul. I blame myself."

"It is not your fault!" said Sif, pressing her hand on his arm and giving him a little shake, "He chose to fall."

"Why?" Thor asked, challenging her, "Why do you think he chose to fall? We broke him, Sif. My father, my mother, me. We broke his heart. He chose the abyss over the hell we had created for him."

Sif's hand tightened on his arm as she swallowed.

"Do you ever wonder what...?" she stopped, looking uncertain and scared.

"What he experienced? What he endured? I cannot stop wondering. I lie awake at night, wishing I could stop him, wishing I could save him and seeing him fall again and again."

Sif hung her head.

"It is not your fault," she said again, "You must accept that."

Thor said nothing. Refusing to accept responsibility was part of his past, he was wiser now.

 


	2. Permission Sought

Frigga turned when she heard someone approach, her face blank of expression, but when she saw who it was her smile spread like a flower opening, her arms reaching out as Thor moved towards her.

"My son," she said, gripping his hands and staring up into his face, "I did not expect company."

"I can leave if you desire it," said Thor, stooping to kiss his mother tenderly on the cheek. Her skin was cool.

"No, please stay," she said, "I see by your face that you have something on your mind."

They walked towards the bridge across the river, the sound of the rushing water filling the silence and negating the need to rush straight into conversation. Thor had been planning to speak to her for a while but had found it hard to get her alone. She spent a lot of time in solitary contemplation but very often it was in the palace where other eyes and ears were never far enough away. When he had seen her heading out into the garden he had followed but in his haste the words he had prepared so carefully over the weeks since his conversation with Sif had deserted him.

"It is so beautiful here," said Frigga, leaning over the bridge to observe the churning water below, "I remember how much you used to love this bridge as a child. I was forever worried that you would fall in."

"What of Loki?" Thor asked in a harder tone than he had intended, "He played with me. Did you have no fear for him?"

Frigga turned her head slowly to look at him.

"I loved and feared for you both," she said evenly, "As I still do."

Her eyes travelled past him and up to the palace.

"We must walk further if we are to continue."

Thor nodded and she took his arm. They walked across fields he had known intimately as a boy and as they walked memories leapt up catching him unawares. Catching his first jackrabbit and running home to show his father. Fishing in the river. Loki climbing so high in the trees that Thor had been scared for him until Loki had shown him how much they could see without being seen. The familiar pain under his ribs flared.

"I think this is far enough," said Frigga and Thor noted how tired she sounded. She lowered herself slowly to the ground. They were sheltered in a dappled glade, the sound of the river no louder than a whisper. Thor sat beside her, feeling dry leaves and twigs beneath him. The trees around them swayed and spoke and for a moment Thor felt nothing but peace in his heart.

"I started coming here when Loki fell," said Frigga, her voice barely rising above the rustle of the leaves, "There were times when I thought I could hear him but I never knew if he was calling for help or cursing me."

Her hand slipped away from his and she wiped her eyes.

"I have tried to visit him in prison."

"You have?"

Thor was surprised. He had assumed her to be obedient to his father's wishes.

"Only once have they allowed me beyond the front gate."

"Did you see him? Speak to him?"

Frigga pressed her lips together, her eyes shining. She could not bring herself to look at him.

"It is a terrible place. Silent and completely dark. I had a guard bring down a light but they refused to let me enter his cell. Even with the light most of the cell was still..." Frigga pressed a trembling hand to her lips. "I couldn't see him but I could sense him there, watching me. I know he was watching me. I tried to talk to him, I wanted to..."

She brought her hand down from her face and Thor was shocked at the stricken expression upon it.

"I cannot explain it. I don't understand it. He could not have hurt me. I don't believe he would have hurt me but I was...I was so..." She stared straight ahead as if she was seeing him still, a shadow in the darkness. "It is a terrible thing to be afraid of your own child."

"When was this?" Thor asked.

"Only a short while after his imprisonment. Your father found out where I had been and punished the guards responsible. Out of concern for them I did not attempt to see him again for some time but I found I could not keep myself from that dreadful place. I need him to know that I have not forgotten him, that I will never forget him."

Her expression hardened as she said this, her tears glinting in a sudden burst of sunlight.

"I also ask the guards for reports. I wish to know of his welfare. They are, of course, forbidden to speak or have contact with him but they tell me what they can."

She hesitated, pressing her lips together once more. Thor could sense that there was something she was unsure whether to tell him.

"I wish to know, mother," he said quietly, "I wish to know everything."

"I...Thor, I cannot...there are things I wish I did not know. How can I bear it?"

She stood abruptly causing Thor to scramble after her. He caught up with her, grasping her arm to slow her down. The moment he caught hold of her Frigga collapsed, her sobs bursting out of her with no control. Thor pulled her to him and wrapped her in his arms, pressing her wet and twisted face into his chest.

"I will go to father," he said, "I will ask him for mercy on Loki's behalf." Frigga looked up, hope shining alongside the tears.

"You are a good son," she breathed, "And a good brother."

Thor tried to smile down at her but he could not get her words out of his head. _There are things I wish I did not know._

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Thor, there you are!"

Odin greeted him jovially, clapping him on the back.

Frigga had told Thor that his father was in a good mood but he had little expected such a beaming smile.

"Your mother tells me you have something to discuss. Come, sit."

They sat at a table already laden with wine and fruit. Odin poured a goblet full and pushed it towards Thor who took it without enthusiasm.

"You look serious, son," said Odin once his own goblet was full, "Today is not a day for serious. We have had good news."

He proceeded to talk about the latest council involvements, laughing as he recalled the points he had scored over the other council members. Thor found himself unable to follow the story and pretty soon Odin realised he had lost his audience.

"I am sorry, Father. I have come here with a serious purpose. May I?"

Odin replaced his goblet on the table, the smile already slipping from his face. Thor could feel the tension within him rising. He could back out, he could bite his tongue and come back feeling more prepared. And all the while Loki would remain locked in his featureless, silent prison.

"I wish to discuss Loki."

The reaction was immediate. Odin's chest swelled, his face growing red, all trace of previous happiness gone in an instant.

"Do not speak that name!" he roared rising from his seat. Thor rose too. He was in the battle now, he had to fight.

"Father, let me speak."

"You have your orders, Thor. You will not speak of him!"

"I will not forget my brother!" Thor cried, "And you will not forget your son!"

The silence rang loud in the huge hall. Odin was shaking with rage and Thor knew he had lost. He had tried so hard not to come in weapons drawn. He had needed to get his father to listen, to understand, and he had quite possibly blown his only chance for both.

"I do not wish to upset you, Father, nor do I wish to disobey but I cannot resign myself to the current situation."

"You question my judgement?"

"No, Father. I do not. I have not come to question, I have come to appeal. I wish to be permitted to visit Loki."

"Absolutely not!"

"Father, I..."

"Did you not hear me, Thor?" cried Odin, stepping forwards threateningly, black fire in his eyes.

Thor bowed his head. His eyes on the floor he watched his father move towards him.

"Look at me." Thor's chin rose. His father was standing close enough to touch him.

"Did you choose today on purpose?" he asked.

Thor nodded.

One year ago, in a hall packed full of Asgardians, Loki had been given his sentence. Thor had said nothing then, not one word. He would not make the same mistake again.

"A year is a long time, Father."

"A year," said Odin, his voice hoarse. He stroked his long beard and narrowed his eye."There was a time when you would have marched in here with demands rather than face me with respect."

"I have changed."

"Yes," said Odin, "You have. Do not expect the same of him."

And with that he swept past Thor and out of the hall.

 

* * *

 

It took a full half day to reach the prison. By the time Thor's steed pulled up outside the tall gates the sun was halfway set. Rationally he knew that waiting until the morning would have changed nothing but having been given permission Thor was keen to act on it. He realised that the guards had been informed of his imminent arrival when one stepped forwards to take his horse.

"Your Highness, welcome."

Welcome was not the word Thor would have chosen.The prison was cut into the black rock, dull flames of light in a few of the windows the only indication that there was any life inside. As he walked towards the depressing construction, he wondered whether he should have asked more questions of his mother. What was he about to face? Then again her visit had been many months ago, things would have deteriorated considerably since then. The doors were unlocked before him, guards bowing either side of him. The interior was so dark that Thor felt himself wanting to draw back, unable to relax when he knew the doors would be locked again behind him. Torches lit the corridor but they made only a partial impression on the gloom.

"Do follow me, Your Highness," said a guard appearing as if from nowhere before him.

Thor realised he must have been standing feet from him but the shadows had concealed him completely. The guard led him down several long corridors. They passed other cells but it was impossible to tell whether they were occupied or not.

"How many other prisoners are there?" Thor asked. The sound of his voice was oddly muffled. Something thick was dripping down the nearest wall.

"None here, sir," replied the guard, "Not in this wing. They were removed when The One was brought in."

"The One?" The guard shifted uncomfortably.

"We are forbidden to speak his name, sir," he said, "We refer to him only as The One."

"I see," said Thor bristling, "Well, when I am here Loki shall be addressed by his name."

The guard's discomfort became painful to witness. "Our orders come from your father, sir. If he were to..."

"Very well," snapped Thor and he waved a hand to indicate that he wished to proceed.

As they walked Thor felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. It felt as if he was being watched but the guard had already told him that there were no other prisoners. Straining to identify the cause of this strange sensation, Thor became aware that he could hear something. Shooting out his hand to stop the guard from reaching for his keys, Thor listened closely. The sound was coming from beyond the door ahead of them. He stepped up to it and realised that there was a barred panel near the base. Beyond the door there came a repeated tapping, the sound of stone on stone.

"That's him, sir," whispered the guard, "Usually this door remains closed."

He looked at Thor as if asking whether he still wanted to go through with this. Thor glared at him impatiently causing the poor man to drop his keys. Immediately the tapping stopped and Thor felt himself to be caught in a concentration of pure attention. Did Loki already know it was him? The guard was visibly shaking.

"What is your name?" Thor asked him, his voice ringing in the sudden silence.

"Talroc, sir."

"Talroc," Thor said giving the man a tight smile, "Once you have opened the door, you may leave us. Wait at the end of the corridor and I will join you when I am ready."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Restored to a semblance of calm, Talroc succeeded in turning the key and the door creaked open. From the light of the torch in his hand Thor could see stone steps leading down into even more darkness. Wordlessly Talroc handed him the torch. Thor took it and began to descend.


	3. The First Visit

 

It seemed to take him an age to reach the bottom of the stone steps. All the time Thor felt an intense gaze upon him, as if a wild creature was viewing him as prey. There was only a small area to stand, no bigger than a pace wide and five or six across. Black bars loomed in front of him, marking the boundary of Loki's cell. The torch in Thor's hand failed to do much to penetrate the gloom beyond. For a moment or two he stood, torch raised as high as the low ceiling would permit, waiting. Nothing happened. There was no sound, no movement, nothing to reveal any living presence apart from himself. Uncomfortable but determined not to appear so, Thor cleared his throat.

"It's been a year. I thought you might at least be a little pleased to see me."

His jocular tone echoed oddly in the confined space and made Thor want to cringe. He immediately wanted to start again.

"I wanted to see you," he said, "I was concerned."

Concerned? Was that really the best he could do?

"I'm not here to ridicule or hurt you. I am here as your brother."

He paused to listen. Nothing. He stepped closer to the bars, his frustration overcoming his restraint. What he could see of the floor of the cell was enough to make Thor wish he had not looked down at all. The guard had said that no one usually opened the door he had passed through which had to mean that no one attended to Loki's cell in any meaningful way.

"Loki?"

The intense feeling of being watched had been replaced by an emptiness, a detectable lack of presence that disturbed Thor just as much.

"You're not making this easy for me, Loki," he snapped, his temper roused. The silence that followed made the regret following this outburst impossible to ignore.

"Are you going to say anything?"

 Thor took a step to the side attempting to see further but not succeeding.

"Fine," he said, "If you wish me to leave, I..."

The swish and clink of chains betrayed sudden movement but Thor was not prepared for the hand that shot from between the bars and clasped itself tightly around his free wrist. Instinct made him jerk back but Loki did not let him go. Forcing himself to look, Thor saw a familiar deathly pale face looking back at him from behind the bars. His green eyes were fixed upon him and filled with a manic energy that made Thor's skin crawl.

"Don't go."

They were barely discernible as words. Loki's voice was as far removed from the one Thor had been expecting that it shocked him more than anything else so far.

"You can release me," he said, "I will stay."

Something like fear flashed briefly in Loki's eyes but he let go of Thor's wrist and withdrew back into his cell. This time though he did not retreat enough to disappear. Thor could make out his outline and the spark of his eyes. Wanting to give himself a moment to recover, Thor made a performance of attaching the torch to the only bracket he could see on the wall before returning to sit on one of the steps. He could still feel the pressure of Loki's fingers on his wrist and had to fight hard not to look down to see if he had left marks. Loki was still standing, the chains attached to his wrists falling to the floor. He neither moved nor spoke for so long that Thor realised that if they were going to make any progress he was going to have to make the break through. If only he knew where to start.

"I can bring you news of the kingdom," he suggested, "News of our mother..."

There was a noise somewhere between a snort and a growl which Thor took to mean that Loki did not think highly of this idea.

"You are always in her thoughts," said Thor thinking of the tears Frigga had spilled when they had been alone, "She does not forget her son."

"I am not her son," said Loki in the same unrecognisable whisper.

"She raised you and loved you," said Thor, "She is your..."

"Enough."

The word carried no command, only a simple entreaty. Thor found himself longing for the true Loki to appear, he was unnerved by this broken shadow.

"You are surprised?" Loki asked scornfully, stepping forwards once more so Thor could see him properly. "Did you think I had more fight in me? No doubt the mighty Thor would fare better if he were locked away."

"I doubt that," said Thor and he meant it. Loki narrowed his eyes but if he was searching for contempt he would find none. As Thor took in the hollowed, damaged appearance of his brother, he was drawn in particular to the scratches that ran down Loki's face, deep marks that seemed to have been scored again and again.

"Who did that to you?"

 Loki eyes widened slightly and then he smiled. He raised one hand and placed each fingertip so that it corresponded to where each scratch began. Thor felt his stomach twist and he looked away, aware that in doing so he had made a mistake. A discernible charge crept into the chilled air.

"Why are you really here, Thor?" Loki breathed.

Maybe it was the guilt of being healthy and whole, or maybe Loki's powers had not entirely deserted him, but Thor suddenly found himself telling the truth.

"I have been trying to harness the tesseract's power. I wish to reopen the portal to Earth."

Loki's smile flickered once more.

"No," he said simply.

"I did not ask..." Thor began but he knew the question had been implicit, it was churlish to deny it. Loki was playing with him. The impulse to wound rose up before he could stop it.

"You have no right to deny me anything. If I desire to know and forcibly extracting the information is the only way then so be it."

Loki's smile had frozen, the eyes above it hard as ice.

"And if you torture me and I still do not help you, what then, brother?"

Thor snatched the torch from its bracket, ignoring the way Loki flinched away from the light as it moved towards him. He wanted him to hurt.

"You will be forgotten," he spat, "There isn't a soul in all of the nine Realms that will remember your name."

He cast the torch down onto the floor, the clatter and the sudden darkness causing him a sharp satisfaction but even as he climbed the stairs, feeling his way, Thor felt remorse and guilt begin to chew their way through his insides. He slammed the door that barred Loki from the rest of the world but he felt no satisfaction from its hard finality. He marched straight past Talroc wishing that he had the strength to turn around but knowing already that he could not.

 

* * *

 

Loki listened to the sounds of his brother's anger fading until the silence closed in around him once more. He waited, still standing exactly where Thor had left him. He did not expect Thor to return just as he had not expected him to appear so suddenly before him but in the act of stillness he was better able to focus on what was happening to him. Thor might have been his usual arrogant, all conquering self but there was no doubt that his presence had eased the pressure that had been exerting itself unremittingly around Loki's head and chest. He could feel it returning now, tight muscular pain that made both breathing and keeping his thoughts in check too hard. Was it distraction that had brought about this temporary release or was it Thor himself? It little mattered. What use was a theory if one had no ability to test it? He returned slowly to seat himself on the bench set into the wall. His chains clinked as he settled himself. Reflexively he touched the band surrounding his right wrist with his left hand. Had it really only been a year? A tide of panic rose inside him but he forced it back, impatient with himself. He would not allow himself to sink back into that desperate place. He was not forgotten, he was under Thor's skin. Something would change.

A sound made Loki's head rise, his muscles frozen. He could barely hear it but it was there. A promise, a threat, a call. Thor was wrong. There would always be someone who remembered him, someone who searched tirelessly for him. Loki had felt the monstrous gaze pass so close that he had been afraid to breathe, he had felt its claws on his soul. The walls of his cell pressing in on him, Loki once again felt panic rise like a flood and this time it was much harder to keep it at bay as the words cut through his heart.

 _You will wish for something as sweet as pain_.

Loki shivered, his fear a living thing inside his chest. One way or the other things were going to change and he was well aware that he may not enjoy what was coming.

 

* * *

 

"Well, something has happened," said Sif, "You have never been any good at hiding your emotions and I have an even bigger clue, you have not been near the tesseract for over a week."

Thor considered spurring on his horse and leaving Sif in the dust but decided that a straight forward reply might put an end to things more effectively.

"I have been using the time to think."

"Oh? And have you had any insights? I would love to hear them."

Thor's nostrils flared as he caught sight of Sif's cocked eyebrow. She knew he was lying and he knew she knew.

"You might as well tell me," she said, "By the looks of things whatever has happened is eating you up, it might be beneficial to share."

Her leg brushed against his as her horse swerved to avoid a patch of boggy ground. She laughed and steered him back on course. Her laughter freed something in Thor's chest. Sif was his oldest friend. She knew him, she would understand.

"I went to see Loki."

Sif turned sharply on her saddle, the reins gripped so tightly in her hands that her horse snorted its disapproval as its head was jerked to the side.

"You disobeyed your father?" she asked, shocked.

"Odin gave me permission," Thor assured her, "But...it did not go well."

"What were you expecting?" Sif asked incredulously, "A glorious reunion?"

Thor waved away a stubborn fly that had taken to orbiting his head. He had examined his meeting with Loki from every angle but was still unsure what he had expected or even what he had hoped to gain.

"I behaved regrettably," he admitted, feeling the shame burn in his stomach.

"And I suppose he was charming?" Sif asked.

"He was..." Thor struggled for words. He had been left with the impression that Loki was greatly weakened but was that true? There were certainly reasons Loki might wish to appear weaker than he was and there had been definite hints of power right from the moment Thor had approached his cell but the one thing he could not get out of his mind was the desperate way Loki had reached for him to stop him from leaving.

"He has been locked away from the world without another living soul for company for an entire year, I should have shown greater patience and kindness."

"Oh Thor, when will you learn to see him as he is?" said Sif in exasperation, "You cannot save him."

Thor turned his horse so she was facing back the way he had come. With a sharp kick to her flanks they were off, the wind whipping at his hair. He heard Sif call his name but there was too great a pleasure in the rush of speed for him to consider stopping. He would go back to the prison and he would try again. He was not going to give up.

 

 


	4. Return To The Darkness

 

Thor descended the steps, torch in hand. The flame leapt in protest as he fixed it to the bracket on the wall. As last time its impression on the darkness was surprisingly weak. He would bring more torches next time, he would order more brackets to be fixed to the walls and he would leave no shadow for Loki to disappear into. Knowing he was there but being unable to see him was decidedly unpleasant, somehow the bars between them and Loki's weakened state did not entirely eliminate the sense of threat. Thor was walking towards the bars running through everything he had discovered and planned when Loki spoke.

"Where are your instruments of torture and mutilation?" he asked, his tone mocking.

"I did not come here to hurt you," said Thor, "I came here to apologise. I should not have let my temper get the better of me, I should  not have threatened you."

The rattle of chains betrayed Loki's movement before he appeared within the circle of light cast by the torch. With Thor standing so close to the bars they were suddenly in rather intimate proximity. He was relieved to see that the scratches that had been so livid on Loki's face last time had started to fade. Silence hung between them, a soundless web of memory. Thor had the sudden foolish urge to reach out to his brother but he contented himself with touching the bars instead, the cold metal a shock against warm palms.

"I think the All Father would rather have banished you," he said honestly, "If he had not been afraid that you would attempt to conquer whichever Realm you were sent to."

Loki's lips twitched into an almost smile.

"I did not intend for that to be a compliment," said Thor, frowning.

"I take what I can get," said Loki, the smile really appearing this time, a glimpse of the Loki of old.

The humour was lost on Thor. He would have preferred Loki to keep his silence, denial would have been better still. If Odin heard his flippant words his anger would be thunderous. _Do not expect him to change._

Thor ran his hands down the bars, thinking, remembering. So much had happened and he had only seen a fraction of it.

"You made a choice," he said slowly, "You let go."

Thor saw again in his mind's eye Loki's hand gripping the spear, saw the decision made even before his fingers released their hold. He remembered the way he had tried to save him, tried to change what had already been done.

"Yes," said Loki simply. Even now there was no regret in him, no appreciation that he could have chosen a different path.

"Whatever you have been through, whatever you have suffered, there is a way back."

An almost imperceptible shudder ran through Loki's entire body but he did not acknowledge it.

"You can have no appreciation of what I have been through," he said softly, "Or what powers I have gained because of it."

"And was it worth it?" Thor asked, "I have spoken to the guards. They have told me things about you, about the words you call out, the screams..."

Loki's lips whitened, his entire face colourless in the darkness surrounding him. His eyes shone sharply in contrast. Thor pressed on.

"They tell me there are times when it is my name that rings through these walls. You must suffer greatly to call upon one you have so forsaken."

There was a trembling pause in which Thor could feel waves of fury emanating from the other side of the bars. It was not his intention to bait Loki, he merely wanted to find a way to glimpse the truth. He wanted to reconcile the projection Loki was giving him and the accounts he had heard from Talroc and the others. Was it being alone that was tearing him apart? Or was there something else clawing at him from the inside?

"I am here, Loki," he said, "I have come. Whatever it is you fear I will help you to face it."

 Thor extended his hand, reaching through the bars but Loki backed away as if threatened. There was real terror on his face, his green eyes wide. Thor pressed his advantage.

"You still have choices. Your path is not set."

"Is yours?" Loki asked with a directness that took Thor by surprise, "What is it on Earth that you are so keen to get back to?"

There was a piercing interest to the question that Thor did not like and certainly did not trust. He had been relieved when he had arrived on Earth to face Loki to find that Jane was safe. Perhaps Loki did not think that feelings between an Asgardian and a mere human could endure through a separation or maybe she was part of his plan he had saved until last.

"I have sworn to protect Earth from all enemies," Thor replied disliking the direction of his own thoughts, "And for that I must have access to the Realm that does not rely on the All Father's limited supply of dark energy."

"Do you really think they need you?" Loki asked, "You don't think the rest of the dream team will hold together without their god?"

He was doing an admirable job of acting as if talking about the Avengers was inconsequential to him but Thor knew Loki better than to believe he felt his defeat any less keenly than he had done at the time.

"I have made a promise," said Thor, "I keep my word."

For some reason this made Loki flinch. A thought nudged its way to the front of Thor's mind, a new connection made but he pushed it back.

"The humans are not a slave race," he said and Jane appeared before him, a smile lighting up her face, "They are just like us, capable of everything we can achieve."

Loki gave a short laugh that sounded painful.

"They are nothing like us," he said coolly, "Though I will grant that some of them were unexpectedly impressive. The fate of a whole world in the hands of a few. If they fall, what remains?"

"They will not fall," said Thor forcefully, "They are strong."

"Even without you?" asked Loki casually as he disappeared back into the darkness, "If that is the case, it matters little if the portal remains closed." Then as an afterthought he added, "Perhaps it is you who will be forgotten."

 

* * *

 

Jane returned from one of her night time trips into the desert to find Darcy sitting on her doorstep, moths circling the light above her head. As Jane slammed the door of her Jeep behind her Darcy stood, scattering her living satellites.

"Where have you been?" Darcy demanded, trying and failing to look stern.

"Out," said Jane, reaching in her bag for her keys, "I don't need a babysitter."

Darcy balked at the hostile tone.

"Ok," she said, "But could you use a friend?"

Jane was about to snap something hurtful back when she saw that there was a paper bag on the doorstep, the top of a bottle of wine poking out. It was Friday night. They had made a plan to spend the evening together and Jane had forgotten it completely.

"Oh, now she remembers!" said Darcy, "Well, don't worry about it, I really wanted to spend my night sitting on someone's doorstep and now that part's over I think I'll just go to bed."

She marched down the path towards her car but stopped after five paces.

"Aren't you going to try and stop me?" she asked.

"Of course I am," said Jane, coming out of her trance, "I'm sorry, I've just..."

One hand was still inside her bag, her keys unfound. It was the look on Darcy's face, a horrifying mix of pity and bafflement, that made Jane realise just how low she had sunk. Her bag slipped from her shoulder as her face crumpled.

"Oh no, don't cry!"

Darcy came charging towards her, colliding with her in such a forceful hug that Jane had to struggle against it to breathe.

"It's okay," said Darcy soothingly.

"It's not okay," Jane wheezed, "I can't breathe!"

"Oh!"

Darcy let her go and they both stared at each other. Their laughter struck at exactly the same moment, peals of it rolling around them so that they were soon clutching at their sides. Jane felt the pain dig in sharply between her ribs. It was not funny, not even remotely but still she could not stop, tears running down her face and onto the parched soil at her feet.

Two glasses of wine later and Jane could not tell whether she was feeling more in control of herself or less. Darcy had kicked her shoes off and had tucked her feet up underneath her.

"Well, you know what I think you should do?" she said abruptly.

"I have no idea," said Jane as she refilled her glass.

"You should send a message," said Darcy leaning forwards and nodding her head for emphasis, "Loads of people send messages up into space for the aliens."

"Thor is not an alien," said Jane a little defensively.

"He's from another world, isn't he? That makes him an alien."

Darcy threw herself back in her chair clearly pleased with her reasoning.

"Okay," said Jane, indulging her, "How do I go about sending this message then? And how will I make sure he gets it and no one else?"

 "Hmmm..." Darcy's face creased in concentration. "I'm not sure. Maybe you could write it in code? But then you want to make sure Thor knows it's from you."

Jane let her waffle on, content to listen and enjoy the numbing effect of the wine. If Darcy's plan could be put into action she already knew what message she would send. It would be simple, short enough to travel across the millions of miles between them without its meaning being lost.

_I love you. Come back._

"...and then it could be beamed into space with one of those super powerful lasers. I'm sure Erik knows how it all works but..."

Jane sat up straight. Darcy's rambling had given her a real idea.

"Darcy, do you think Erik knows how to get in contact with S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"The super secret organisation he went to work for? Um, I'm not sure. Why?"

But Jane had already leapt up. Why hadn't she thought of this before?

"What are you doing?" Darcy questioned as Jane reached for the phone, "It's gone midnight, don't you think you should wait until morning?"

Jane ignored her. She was not waiting a second longer. His number leapt from her mind onto the keys without conscious thought. In the space between each ring she whispered _pick-up-pick-up-pick-up_.

"Hello?"

Erik's voice was so familiar even thickened as it was by sleep.

"Erik, I need to know how to contact S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Jane? Is that you?"

Jane was dimly aware of Darcy watching her, her feet flat on the floor, her hands gripping the arms of the chair.

"Please Erik. I..."

"I am sorry, Jane, but the only contact number I ever had belonged to one of the agents who died."

Jane pushed past this uncomfortable detail.

"Have you tried to ring it since?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Do you still have it?"

"Jane, are you on your own?"

"No, Darcy's here," said Jane impatiently, "But..."

"I can be with you in fifteen minutes. Will you wait?"

She wanted to demand that he give her the number. Why should she wait even one minute if he could give her what she wanted right now? She had not realised that Darcy had even stood until she felt a hand prise the phone from her.

"Erik? It's Darcy. Please come over."

Jane heard the buzz of Erik saying something back but she had already slid back into her chair. Her wild hope was dead in her chest. Erik was coming because he knew there was nothing else he could do to help. S.H.I.E.L.D were not contactable, and even if they were her request to send a message to Thor would hardly leap to the top of their priority list. Pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes, Jane wished she had never come home.

Twelve minutes later and the headlights of Erik's car shone through the living room window. Darcy jumped up and hurried to the door. Jane did not move. She felt drained and dizzy. She wished she had not started that third glass of wine. An urgent conference of low voices confirmed Jane's suspicions. Her friends were worried sick about her and did not know how to confront this latest breakdown. Before she could call out to them they entered the room, Darcy first and then Erik looking dishevelled, unshaven and red eyed. Jane knew she should have felt bad for dragging him out of bed in the middle of the night but as he moved towards her she felt nothing but gratitude that he had come to her aid. He opened his arms and she sank into his hug, his crinkled shirt soft against her cheek. When they broke apart, Erik pulled a slip of paper from his pocket.

"I don't think it is going to work," he said as he held it out, "But I thought I should be here in either case. Are you going to ring it or should I?"

Jane snatched up the paper and unfolded it. There was a cell phone number printed upon it in Erik's sloping hand and a name: Coulson.

"It's probably not going to work," said Erik gently, "Do you want me to...?"

He had his cell phone in hand. Jane nodded, surrendering the paper back to him.

"I have tried to save it in my phone before," Erik explained, "But it just disappears. These guys do not want to be traced."

As he punched in the numbers Jane sat down on the sofa and Darcy joined her. Without looking at each other the two women joined hands. Erik raised the phone to his ear. Five seconds later and it was all over.

"Nothing," said Erik, "It does not even connect. They must have taken the phone out of service after..."

He stopped and stared at the phone in his hand. It had started to ring.

 


	5. With Sudden Fury, They Come

 

Thor woke with a start. Every night it was the same. As soon as he fell asleep he would begin to dream of Jane. Every night was full of her but he was never with her, he could only watch. She would go about her daily life, driving her car, shopping for food, working with Erik and Darcy. Not once did she look up at the sky, his name never crossed her lips. He would wake and his heart would beat hard in his chest as he tried to shake the certain feeling that she had given up on him. Throwing aside the cover that had twisted around him, Thor swung his legs over the side of the bed and ran his hand roughly through his hair. It was just a dream, nothing more. Just a dream. He knew exactly where these thoughts had originated. Loki's words had got under his skin and stuck there, barbs holding them in place. Had he known what he was doing? Loki could not know how deeply Thor's feelings ran, but perhaps he had guessed? There was certainly no way Loki could know what Jane was doing or thinking about on Earth so any speculation that she had forgotten him was just that, unfounded, baseless conjecture.               

Knowing that any attempt to return to sleep was useless Thor rose and dressed. He ended up in the same place every night now, the early morning always finding him staring at the tesseract. The secret was there, locked in the glowing cube, but he was still no closer to revealing it. Would the portal remained closed forever now? There were other ways to cross between Realms but dark energy was a rare and valuable commodity, Thor knew his request to use the last remaining stocks would be flatly denied especially as he had no pressing reason to do so. Abandoning all pretence, Thor left the tesseract and headed straight for the stables. Loki had put these ideas into his head and he would damn well get them out again. 

 

* * *

 

It was sometimes hard to tell when sleep ended and waking began when the darkness never lifted. Loki was not sure that he slept all that much. Though he spent great swathes of time in an unmoving dream-like state it was not the same as true sleep. He remembered but he did not dream, he rested but he did not sleep. He wondered whether that was why he felt like he was falling apart at the seams. Making sense of things and keeping them in a logical order was becoming impossible. He felt suspended, as if he had fallen into another abyss with no stars to light his way out. Perhaps this _was_ another abyss, or maybe had he never escaped the last one? Was he trapped in a loop, doomed to end up here no matter what actions he might take? These were not healthy thoughts, they were not helping. Loki tried to focus on something tangible. He touched the chain falling from his wrist. That was real, that was something. His head began to hurt. He could hear whispering a lot of the time now, voices bleeding from the walls, calling to him, threatening him. Was this the beginnings of madness or were they really getting closer? Loki felt panic grip him by the throat. He would rather go mad from boredom than via the route the Other had planned for him.               

He could see them in his mind's eye, circling, narrowing their focus. If they came to Asgard, would anyone stand in their way? A year ago Odin had sent him to rot in here, his adopted father, the man who had claimed to love him, had hardly been able to look at him. If the Other was to lay claim on a prisoner that the All Father had already decreed must be forgotten, who would object? Far better to have him gone from Asgard, no longer able to pollute the shining city with his foul presence. No, Odin would not save him. The rest of Loki's former allies were all firmly behind Thor now and had been even before his attempt on Earth, none of them would speak against the Chitauri. They would probably see it as a fitting end to the whole affair. In some ways Loki could see their point. He had never anticipated failure and therefore had never considered quite what the Chitauri would do to him if he did not give them what was required. A lot of consideration later and he was willing to admit that teaming up with them was not the greatest of ideas, not that he had been granted a lot of options. Clawing his way out of the abyss had taken more strength than he had been able to spare and weakness was punished in the blackest places of the universe. Still, he might have thought through his plan a little more. It was all very well getting carried away but if that meant you were left locked in the dark and abandoned waiting for a far worse fate, well, there was an argument for some serious forward planning. Too late now, of course. Far too late.               

Loki's mind had just circled back to trying to deduce the quality and quantity of his sleep when he heard footsteps in the corridor leading to the door above him. He turned his head slightly, listening. Light was coming closer. Hyper aware of his own feelings Loki was surprised to find himself filling with a sense of happiness. He knew who it would be and knew that their exchange was hardly going to be friendly but there was no denying it, Loki was happy that Thor had come to see him again.               

"Are you awake?" Thor demanded as he stamped down the steps, "I need to talk to you."               

Loki sat up slowly. The world span a little. Dizziness seemed to be a constant. When did it first start? He could not remember.               

"Loki, do not play games with me. I am not in the mood. Where are you?"

Loki stood, amused by his brother's edginess. It was always so much fun to play with him when he was in this kind of mood. Whatever was on his mind had him pacing back and forth in front of the bars of the cell, the light from his torch bouncing with every step.               

"Where do you think I am?" Loki asked stepping forwards, "I prefer to stay in these days."               

"Yes, well," said Thor, trying and failing to remain civil, "I want you to answer some questions and I want you to tell me the truth."               

He had stopped pacing and was staring hard at Loki as if he might be able to read the truth without need of hearing it.               

"What would you like to know, Your Highness?" asked Loki, a delicate inflection pressing against the last two words.               

"I want to know if you can see what is happening on Earth. I want you to know whether you can focus on individuals and observe them. And I want to know whether you have been doing so from this cell ever since you were placed here."               

Whatever Loki had thought Thor might ask it certainly was not that.               

"Do not think of misleading me, Loki," Thor warned and Loki saw his hand twitch as if it was itching to conjure Mjolnir.               

"I admit to being flattered," said Loki, "You obviously think very highly of my powers if you truly believe I would be able to achieve such a feat whilst imprisoned and unable to perform any magic to save myself."               

Thor's jaw hardened.               

"Yes or no, Loki," he said coldly.               

"No," Loki said calmly, "Next question?"               

"Would you be able to observe Earth using your powers should you be released?"               

"Providing I had certain materials to hand, I suppose I might be able to," said Loki thoughtfully, "I have never given the matter much thought."               

"So you have never...?"

Thor faltered.               

"Never watched the comings and goings of particular humans for my own amusement?" Loki finished for him, "No, I have not. Why? Do you have cause to be concerned for someone?"               

"I will be asking the questions," Thor snarled, brandishing the torch as if it were a weapon. No further questions were forthcoming, however. Thor resumed his pacing, his brow furrowed. Loki watched him, the bouncing light making him feel a little sick. He reached for one of the bars to steady himself. Thor, wrapped tightly in his own thoughts, did not notice. The whispering had started again but the words were spiky this time, an angry buzzing that made Loki's head ache worse than ever.               

"How did father know that you had invaded Earth?"               

_We are close. We are very close_.                 

"What?"                 

Loki was having a hard time concentrating. He was not sure who he was supposed to be answering.               

"How did father know that you were on Earth?" Thor asked again, loud enough to make the metal bars ring. Loki suppressed a groan.               

"I think he..."               

_This is not pain. You will wish for something as sweet as pain_.               

"Loki, I am warning you..."               

"It's..." 

The walls were pressing in on him. His vision had blurred. There was a rushing sound. They were coming. He was surrounded.               

"Loki!"               

Thor grabbed him by the throat. The shock straightened the world, the whispering fading to a muted hush, and Loki's choice became clear to him. Although Thor's grip was tight Loki was still able to speak.               

"If you have ever loved me, you will kill me before they come."               

Thor stared at him, his grip relaxing in his confusion.               

"What are you talking about? Who is coming?"               

But Loki was not listening. Far above them, audible even through the solid stone was a horn. The alarm had been sounded. Thor looked up too and then back down at Loki, realisation dawning.               

"You were not alone on Earth, you had help and yet you were defeated. Someone was helping you and they did not get what they wanted. What bargains did you strike to ensure yourself an army?"               

Loki did not answer. He was looking at his hands. Spasms of pain were travelling up through his fingers.               

"What promises did you make, Loki?" Thor was asking him, his voice rising as the horn above sounded again and again, "What debts do you owe?"               

The pain was travelling up Loki's arms. The whisperers were exultant now. They could taste their long delayed victory. The prize was theirs.               

"Loki, look at me!"                         

Thor's shout cut through the air like a whip crack, its echo bouncing off the walls. Loki looked up, flinching as the pain began to cut deeper.               

"Someone has power over you and they have come here to find you. I saw you on Earth, I know how your powers have grown and yet you have shown no real desire for freedom. It is not this prison that has weakened you, it is your fight against this other. What darkness have you brought to our kingdom, Loki?"               

Loki gasped as pain began to shoot through his chest,  a taste of what was to come. The horn sounded again and Thor took a step backwards.               

"Thor, please..."               

Loki was beyond caring now. If he had to plead then he would, he would get down on his knees and beg if that was what Thor wanted. Thor shook his head, backing away.               

"You brought this on yourself, Loki. And you brought it on us. These are the consequences."               

He turned and began to run. Loki wanted to call after him but the pain had stolen his voice. He dropped to his knees, wishing it would end and knowing that it was just the beginning.

  

* * *

 

                              

Thor rode as if his life depended on it, pushing his horse to the very limits of her endurance. As soon as he reached the boundary of the city itself he leapt off her, leaving her panting and sweating. She would find her own way home. People were running in the streets, pulling children into houses, locking doors behind them. Thor almost ran straight into one of the guards hurrying to fortify the city boundary. When he reached the palace, he leapt up the steps three at a time, charging inside without a care for his appearance. Inside the palace the atmosphere was tense but calm, no one was running or screaming. The word soon spread that he had arrived and he was ushered into the throne hall which was already packed with the council and a delegation of six strangers, all of them hooded except for the one who stood at the front. He wore a thick helmet which he had apparently refused to take off even in front of the King who was occupying his throne, leaning forwards slightly, his face grim. Thor recognised the creatures as Chitauri and felt his blood run cold as he made his way slowly round the edge of the seated council towards his father.               

"You have come here unannounced," said Odin, his voice carrying easily through the immense space, "It is to be expected that we would see this as hostile."               

"And yet we have no quarrel with Asgard," said the helmeted leader, "We have come to collect a debt from one who is here, not to seek issue with all."               

"One?" Odin enquired, "And who is this one?"               

Thor's heart sank. He knew and judging from the look on his mother's face she had guessed too.               

"His name is Loki and he owes us a debt."               

There was a murmur around the hall. Thor used the opportunity to draw closer to the thrones. Frigga had one hand pressed over her mouth. Odin's face was mask like.               

"Loki is my son," he said, "Whatever debt he owes, we will pay."               

Thor felt his heart soar. There was further muttering but Thor did not care. He caught his mother's eye and they shared the briefest of hopes.               

Helmet bowed low.               

"Your generosity is admirable," he said greasily, "But this is not a debt that can be paid by another. Loki was given considerable privilege on the understanding that a promise would be kept. Failure to deliver is a serious crime."               

"I am aware of my son's transgressions," said Odin, "He is currently incarcerated for his crimes and I would prefer it if he remained here."               

"I regret to inform Your Majesty that failure to comply with the request will result in a declaration of war upon Asgard," said Helmet, "The one for whom I act will accept no lesser payment than Loki himself. "               

There was no murmuring this time. Shock had sealed everyone's mouths tight shut. The whole hall seemed to be holding its breath. Odin leaned back on his throne. His head turned slowly to the left to where Frigga sat. Thor stepped up onto the platform. He could feel the eyes of the entire Council upon him but there was only person he wanted to look at him. Frigga looked past Odin and gave the smallest of nods. Odin turned and Thor met his eyes.               

_Don't do this, Father. Please don't do this_.               

Odin turned back to face the Chitauri contingent.               

"You threaten Asgard with war, this is unacceptable."               

Helmet bowed again but Thor noticed that his teeth were bared.               

"As I said, Your Majesty, we will accept no compromise."               

He met the King's eyes with challenge but Odin stared him down. Thor was close enough to see his father swallow. His decision was made.               

"It seems you leave me no choice." Odin got to his feet. "I will summon my son."               

The whole hall seemed to rise as Odin raised a hand and Loki appeared before him. His eyes were closed. His face was white. His wrists manacled together. He did not bow before his King though he swayed slightly on the spot. Thor was seized with the desire to stand beside him.               

"Loki, I imagine you know why you are here."               

A spasm passed across Loki's face. Thor saw his mother tense. She was almost as pale as Loki, one hand raised as if she was fighting the urge to pull her son to her. When Loki's eyes opened Thor saw that he was barely in control.               

"Your actions have led to this," said Odin, "You have forced my hand."               

Loki looked for a moment as if he might speak but seemed to decide against it. Thor noticed that Helmet was creeping closer to him. Thor's hand flexed. With Mjolnir he could take them all, save Loki...and start a war.               

"Do you have anything you wish to say?"               

Loki shook his head, the slightest of movements, all he could manage. Frigga released a single strangled sob. Loki closed his eyes again, shutting her out.               

"Thor, you have to listen to me."               

Thor jumped. Loki's voice had sounded in his ear but he was looking right at Loki and he was not speaking. As surprised as he was, Thor instinctively knew what was happening. Loki was using the last of his strength to create a second self in order to communicate with him. Out of the corner of his eye, Thor could see the second Loki, invisible to all but himself.               

"The tesseract can rebuild the Bifrost but it will take time. If you want to get back to Earth you need..."               

Loki's second self flickered. Sustaining it was too much for him. Thor wanted to tell him to stop, to preserve his energy for what was coming but saying anything would betray what was happening. Odin had started to speak again. Frigga was crying silently, both hands pressed over her mouth. Thor became aware before anyone else that Loki's resistance had given out, his second self vanishing. He leapt forwards and caught his brother by the arm to stop him from falling. Loki was biting his lip but he steadied himself against Thor and looked up at him.               

"You need to find the Sorcerer Raybrook. He is the only one who can help you."               

"Loki, I..."               

But before Thor could say anything more, Loki was wrenched from him.               

"He belongs to us," said Helmet, with an evil, yellow toothed grin. Frigga screamed. The Council were all standing, some of them shouting out, as the Chitauri surrounded Loki. Thor's hand flexed for Mjolnir but it was too late. Helmet grabbed hold of Loki's arm and the entire group vanished to the sound of a scream that sent an icy dagger into Thor's aching heart.

 


	6. Call And Response

 

Jane ran her hands over the legs of her trousers. Her palms were sweating to an embarrassing degree. Beside her Erik was looking just as nervous as she felt. They had already passed through more security than Jane ever remembered seeing in her life. Their phones had been confiscated. Jane felt lucky to have been able to hang on to her watch.

"How much longer do you think we're going to have to wait?" she asked leaning towards Erik.

"Not much longer," said Erik without any hesitation, "Do you need a drink?"

He indicated a bubbling water cooler in the corner of the waiting room. It gave an unappealing gurgle. Jane pulled her jacket more tightly around her. Did they have to keep the air conditioning turned up so high?

Erik turned the pages of a magazine he had picked up from the table beside him. It had a picture of some kind of large and boring looking machinery on the front. Jane was sure that Erik had not taken in a single word.

"Erik..."

She wanted to tell him how grateful she was that she was not alone but in the pause before her words could come out a door at the end of the room opened and a tall, beautiful but severe looking woman dressed entirely in black, stepped through.

"Miss Foster, Mr Selvig, please come through."

Erik gave Jane an encouraging smile and the smallest of winks.

"My name is Agent Hill," said the woman without warmth. She swept ahead of them into a simple room with a single desk and no windows. She sat on one side of the desk, Erik and Jane on the other. There was nothing atop the desk, no computer, no papers, not even a biro. Agent Hill tapped her fingers on the desk, two fingernails clicking sharply on the wood.

"I understand that you have submitted a request regarding a member of the Avengers Initiative," she said.

"Yes," said Jane, "I..."

"The whereabouts and contact details for members of the Avengers Initiative are highly classified."

"Really?" said Jane who had taken an instant dislike to Agent Hill, "Because you can contact Tony Stark via his website."

Agent Hill flared her nostrils.

"It is our intention to protect the Avengers from fans and foes alike."

"I am not just a fan!" cried Jane, casting an appealing look at Erik who stepped in at once.

"I think there has been some mistake," he said, "Director Fury is aware of the situation, perhaps we could..."

"Director Fury has many demands on his time."

"Of course," said Erik unperturbed, "But I was assured an audience with someone sympathetic."

Agent Hill's eyebrows rose. She took a deep, deliberate sigh.

"I am aware of the "relationship"," she said placing an unpleasant stress on the word, "But we will not be authorising any..."

"I want to know whether it is possible to send him a message," interrupted Jane, "Do you have the ability to send a message to Asgard?"

"No."

The word had a physicality to it. Jane felt it like a blow to her solar plexus. Erik shot her a quick look before leaping back in with another question.

"If not a message, a signal, a simple pulse of energy. I know that there have been successes transmitting short blasts of concentrated energy into space."

"There is no message facility," said Agent Hill, "And no signal that S.H.I.E.L.D will be opening up to civilians."

"I am not a civilian!" cried Jane. She was on her feet, her hands flat on the desk.

Agent Hill did not even blink.

"I will ensure your request is passed on to the appropriate channels but there is nothing more we can do for you."

Jane felt her elbows lock.

"Are you serious? You asked me to come all the way here to tell me that?" She shook her head. "I do not accept it."

"Jane..."

"No, Erik! I will not accept that there is nothing they can do! This is my life!"

"May I make a suggestion?" said Agent Hill and there was a slight softness around her eyes that had not been there before, "My personal recommendation is to move on with your life."

Jane met her steady gaze with a rock hard glare.

"And may I make one in return? Get one of your own."

She turned on her heel and marched from the room. She was some distance away down the nearest corridor when Erik caught up with her. He steered her by the elbow down some stairs and before long they were back outside, Jane forcing herself to take deep steadying breaths.

"I am sorry, Jane," said Erik sadly, "Perhaps we could take another look at my calculations. If we could just find an energy source that would stabilise at the required temperature we might..."

"We can't do it on our own," said Jane, "We need help."  

"I don't think S.H.I.E.L.D..."

"Forget them," snarled Jane, "We can do better. We are going to contact Tony Stark."

 

* * *

 

Immediately following the Chitauri's disappearance Odin had taken himself through to the chamber behind his throne. Thor had followed propelled by Loki's scream. As Odin collapsed onto a chair, his face grey, Thor advanced on him.

"How could you? How could you let those creatures take him? Loki is your son. Your son!"

"Thor..."

"HE IS YOUR SON!"

He wanted to keep shouting. He wanted to fill the chamber with noise. He wanted everyone in Asgard to hear him. But most of all he wanted to block out Loki begging him to kill him before they came.

"I had no choice," said Odin, "Loki..."

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!"

Spit flew and Thor's fist collided with the wall. He felt no pain as the stone cracked.

"You wanted him forgotten!" Thor roared, "You wanted him gone!"

Odin shook his head but Thor would not let him justify his cruelty. He ignored the yawning when it began, forgetting what such signs might mean. His raging was still in full swing when Frigga came running in.

"My son!" she cried and she took hold of his arm, unafraid of his fury, "My darling son, your father sleeps."

Thor whipped around to see his father slumped in his chair, deep in Odin-sleep. Thor strode over to him and shook him roughly.

"I will not let him escape from this, I will not let him escape the consequences of his actions!"

Frigga laid her hand on Thor's back.

"You cannot reach him," she said sadly, "It is too late."

"No! He cannot escape feeling this. He cannot escape this!"

Thor raised his hand. Would he have struck his father if Frigga had caught up his arm? His mother's gentle touch pulled the burning anger out of him but that only left the wound all the more exposed. He bowed his head, his mind reeling against what had happened. Frigga pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him and holding him like he was a child.

"Mother, he can't do this," Thor said when he had regained enough of himself to verbalise his fractured thoughts, "He cannot sleep this time away and not face what he has done."

"We cannot wake him," said Frigga, "We have to wait."

"How can we wait?" Thor asked her desperately, "How can we endure doing nothing when Loki...when he is...?"

"Oh, my son," said Frigga, "How like him you sound."

 "I do not want to be like my father!" cried Thor, the same feeling of rebellion rising in him that had overtaken him so often in his youth.

"Not like your father," said Frigga sadly, "When you were exiled from Asgard and sent to Earth and Loki discovered the truth of his parentage, your father's pain overcame him just as it has done today. Then it was Loki who raged against him and today it is you. How could Loki ever believe that you two were not brothers?"

She kissed Thor's forehead, her warm lips sending love straight through his skin.

"I must speak with the Council," she said as she let him go, "We must be grateful that war has been averted."

She left and Thor remained. He would be expected to take the throne in Odin's place. Never before had he considered the burden that had fallen at Loki's feet when he had been sent to Earth. And never, not even when he had been stripped of his power and exiled to Earth, had he ever hated his father more.

 

* * *

                

Jane tried to concentrate but the research that had once sustained and consumed her failed to rouse even the slightest interest. She was stuck. The whole project was stuck. For the hundredth time that day her eyes flicked over her emails. Every time there was a new message her heart skipped but they had all been disappointments - junk mail, departmental notices and one from Darcy which read simply:

_Has he replied?_

_No_ , Jane answered, stabbing the keys. Wouldn't she have said something if he had? Wouldn't she be feeling less idiotic and hopeless? Only after clicking send had Jane stopped to think about how many thousands of emails Stark Enterprises must receive every day. Her plea for help was bound to be lost amongst the endless stream of internet debris flying in from all directions. And even if the great Tony Stark did read her carefully chosen words, what then? Jane's hope curled in on itself in misery. Dimly she was aware that a new email had popped into her inbox. Probably Darcy offended by the tone of Jane's reply. Yet another thing to feel horrible about. She delayed looking at it, wondering instead what Thor was doing. He had described Asgard to her but she was unable to picture it. Asgard - the kingdom of the Gods, home of Valhalla, Odin's seat on high. All the places Thor had grown up knowing, all the places he had loved and fought for. She had googled Asgard once, clicking on images and cycling through the many different ways humanity had depicted this alien world. She should have shown Thor. Undoubtedly none of them were anything like the real thing and Thor would have been amused, his amazement at her computer and the internet combining with his pity for the poor humans and their limited view of things. She could almost hear his laughter.

Her eyes passed the screen where her emails were still displayed. Upon seeing the sender of her only unread message she did a double take.

                Sender: Stark Enterprises

                Subject: RE: Request for help

Jane almost slipped off her chair in her haste to open it.

               

                _Dear Jane,_

_Thank you for getting in touch. Tony claims he has been waiting to hear from you. I know I have. Cannot say too much in an email but perhaps you would like to come to Stark Tower and we can see how many of your questions can be answered. Let us know when you can come and I will rearrange Tony's schedule._

_Looking forward to meeting you._

_Best,_

_Pepper Potts_

 

 


	7. Help From A Sorcerer

 

The heat from the blow torch was making him sweat. The glass of his protective goggles kept fogging up. Just a little longer and the connection would be forged and he would be finished.

"Doc!"

The torch jerked in Bruce's hands. A brief stab of anger made his vision blur. He counted to ten as he cut the flame and pulled the goggles from his sweat slick face. Months they had been working together and Tony had not modified his obnoxious, distracting, potentially life threatening behaviour one bit. Bruce found he was strangely grateful.

"All done," he said chucking the goggles onto the nearest bench and running the back of one gloved hand across his forehead. Tony was watching him while sipping from a 'World's Greatest Superhero' mug.

"Finished?" he asked tilting it towards where Bruce had just been working.

"Yep."

Bruce peeled off his gloves as Tony moved closer to survey his work with his usual critical eye. The smell of lethally strong coffee was overpowering. Both men had pulled a series of all nighters to get the equipment ready in time and both of them were showing the strain. Tony's eyes were bloodshot, his hair sticking up all over the place, his restless energy fuelled entirely by his special blend. Bruce ran his hand over his three day old beard before taking Tony's coffee from him in one smooth movement.

"You're using my mug," he said, wincing at the first sip. Tony flashed a grin.

"Looks good," he said tapping the equipment, "Do you think it'll work?"

Bruce shrugged.

"I sure hope so for this woman's sake. We'll soon find out anyhow. Aren't they arriving soon?"

Tony was not listening. He had done a full circle of their contraption. Bruce could almost see the calculations and checks being performed inside his head. They had worked on it together but Bruce was more than willing to concede to Tony's superior mind.

"Not to interrupt, gentlemen," said a smooth voice from nowhere, "But Miss Potts has given the order for you to make yourselves presentable."

"Right you are, Jarvis," said Bruce in acknowledgement, "How long do we have?"

"Their plane touches down at 1400 hours. Miss Potts is sending a car to pick them up. I would like to add, sir, that Miss Potts has made it expressly clear that lateness will not be tolerated."

"Better get going then. Thank you, Jarvis."

"My pleasure, sir."

"You coming, Tony?"

But Tony had caught sight of himself in a shiny steel panel and was inspecting his reflection with the same level of attention a starving man would give his dinner. Bruce left him to it, he was not about to get between that man and a mirror.

He took the elevator to his quarters, a luxurious set of rooms right in the heart of the tower. As he turned on the shower he recalled vividly the conditions he had grown accustomed to in Calcutta, the barely dripping standpipe the whole village shared, rubbish and sewage flowing right outside his front door. Now here he was with a shower with the power of a localised waterfall. Thick steam swirled around the marble bathroom as the water beat down on his head and shoulders. It was not the shower that made him feel clean, however, it was the work, it was the calm, it was the acceptance. Tony knew what he was, he had seen the worst of the other side of him and he had still invited him into his home. Bruce knew he could do untold damage if he lost control but he was trusted not to. Trust.

Bruce shut off the shower and stood naked in front of the mirror. He had not caught so much as a glimpse of the beast since coming here. He knew better than to believe him gone but could it be that he was beginning to trust himself?

He was towelling his hair when the phone in the room next door began to chirp. Bruce scooped it up with one hand while he admired the panoramic view.

"Bruce?"

"Hello Pepper." Bruce could not help smiling. "I'm on my way down."

"Good. Their car has just arrived."

"Two seconds," said Bruce heading towards the door.

"And if you see Tony..."

"I'll point him in the right direction."

"Thanks, Bruce."

The lift plummeted down twenty floors. Though Bruce knew he was out of Tony's league when it came to vanity Bruce had to admit he was not displeased with the image of himself looking back from the mirrored doors. He had put on a bit of weight and the haunted look had all but disappeared from his face.

He stopped off briefly at the lab but Tony was nowhere to be seen. Pepper was not going to be pleased.

 

* * *

 

Jane peered through the darkened glass of the limousine. The driver had been waiting for them at the airport, her name written on the sign he held aloft. Pepper Potts had offered her the use of the Stark plane but Jane had contended herself with a normal charter flight to New York. The last few days had been surreal enough without a private jet.

Erik was peering out of the opposite window, taking everything in. Darcy, between them, looked more afraid than anything else.

"Are you okay, Darcy?" Jane asked, touching her on the knee to attract her attention.

Darcy nodded.

"It's just a bit much all this, isn't it? I mean, we're about to communicate with another planet. How do we know it's safe?"

"You're not afraid of Thor, are you?" Jane asked, surprised.

"Not Thor, no," said Darcy quickly, "But wasn't the other one his brother?"

"We're sending a message to Thor," said Jane, "No one else."

But how did she know that was true? Suddenly the air conditioned air inside the limo seemed far too cold.

They were driven right into Stark Tower and escorted to the elevator where the driver pressed the number ten. Jane tried to keep taking deep breaths but it was hard to keep her emotions in check. She was in Stark Tower. She was about to meet Tony Stark himself. He was about to give her the chance to do what she had been dreaming of doing ever since Thor had gone back to Asgard.

The doors of the elevator opened to reveal a spectacular room with windows several storeys high. Standing nearest to them was a tall, blonde woman wearing clothes that Jane could tell cost more than her whole wardrobe. Her own jeans and faded jacket seemed very out of place.

"Hi, welcome to Stark Tower, " said the blonde woman moving forwards to shake their hands, "I'm Pepper, Pepper Potts."

Pepper's hand was thin but her grip was strong. She smiled at Jane and the smile softened the sharp angles of her face.

"Thank you for inviting us here," said Jane speaking for all of them, "I...I can't believe you'd actually want to help me."

"Well, it won't be me providing the actual help," said Pepper with a glance to the side, "May I introduce Dr Bruce Banner, he has been working closely with Tony on the project."

Bruce, standing by the wall with his arms folded, gave a shy nod but did not come closer.

"It's nice to meet you," he said softly, "And it's good to see you again, Erik."

"And you," said Erik warmly, "How have you been?"

As the two men caught up, Pepper tapped the screen of her phone, a frown between her brows.

"If Tony doesn't..." she muttered under her breath but with that there was the sound of someone clattering haphazardly down the stairs and Tony Stark appeared immaculately dressed in a crisp white shirt and hip hugging jeans. He crossed over to Pepper, flashing them all a showman's grin as he did so, and kissed her on the cheek.

"You're late," she said, unmoved by this affectionate display.

"Dr Foster doesn't mind, does she?" said Tony looking between Darcy and Jane waiting for one of them to speak.

"No," said Jane, "I don't mind at all."

"You say that now," said Pepper, "Oh well, we're all here now, let's sit."

They moved into the room and took various chairs. Darcy sat down on the same sofa as Jane, her uneasy presence oddly reassuring to Jane's nerves. Erik sat closest to Bruce Banner and Pepper and Tony sat together. On the low table in the middle of the room was a selection of finger foods, drinks and glasses. It took some time for everyone to be served drinks and once every one was seated again an awkward silence fell that Jane felt she should try to break.

"I don't know whether you wanted to talk business straight away but I just have to know a few things."

She addressed her questions to Tony Stark but shot frequent glances at the more reserved Bruce Banner.

"When I went to see S.H.I.E.L.D they told me they had no way of contacting..."

"They were lying," interrupted Tony, "They're liars. They do have a way of contacting Thor but it is, to all intents and purposes, useless. All it does it send a pulse of radiation through space which, when it eventually reaches Asgard, is no more than a pathetic flare of light. There is no information imparted, nothing. Just a brief, none too impressive firework."

"What good is that?" asked Darcy. She had stopped clutching her handbag in her lap and although she still looked a little awed by the present company she seemed keen to join in.

"No good at all," said Tony, "Hence why they called in the big guns."

He pointed at himself. Pepper rolled her eyes.

Bruce cleared his throat.

"The signal lets Thor that he is needed on Earth. It is only for use in the direst of emergencies as there is, at present, no easy way for Thor to transport himself to this planet. When he came to confront Loki it was through the use of dark energy, an extremely unstable and rare substance that has never been studied or even observed on Earth. His planet contains a limited supply but its use is severely restricted."

"Precisely," said Tony, "Useless. And no one at S.H.I.E.L.D has any idea what the hell they're doing. We, on the other hand, have harnessed energy from a modified arc reactor to send not just a beam of light but an actual message."

"We think we have done that," corrected Bruce.

Tony waved a hand dismissively as if testing their design was nothing more than a formality. Pepper smiled at Jane.

"We thought you should be the first to use it," she said, "It seems right that the first message Thor receives from Earth is from you."

Everyone was looking at Jane now. One of the cubes in her glass cracked and tinkled against the others. She looked up, her head held high.

"How long do I have to wait?"

 

* * *

 

Thor had attended only as many royal commitments as he had to for appearance and the kingdom's sake. Frigga had repeatedly asked if he would see his father but Thor had refused every time. Odin slept and Thor worked. Loki suffered.

Even Sif, who had always managed to get him to talk before, failed to draw him from his silent perseverance. Thor knew he did not need her help for this stage, there was nothing she could do that he could not do himself and to invite her in to becoming part of his plan was to bring danger and disgrace upon her. There was one thing he needed her to do, one single thing but she need not be involved until the very end. Until it was over.

It took longer than he had anticipated to find the one he needed. The enquiries Thor made had to be as discrete as possible and it was hard to maintain discretion when one was the acting King. In the end he used others to ask questions, never revealing to them too much, never asking the same person to collect more than one piece of information. It was not a perfect system and Thor was sure that it would be discovered soon after he had done what he meant to do but then it would be too late, no one would be able to stop him. Under cover of night and shrouded in a cloak that would hide him from eyes used to the darkness Thor set off for the outer reaches of Asgard, the places where the shadows were thickest and neither King nor Council could claim absolute control. His horse grew warier the further from the palace they travelled but Thor felt no such fear. The breeze and the solid muscular heft of his horse were reminders that he was moving forwards, progressing with a plan that had seem madness only a short while ago. When he felt afraid it was not in the hours he was awake and working hard to make things happen, no, fear came to him in his snatched pockets of sleep when his mind was free to imagine the things his waking self worked hard to avoid. Loki was being tortured, that much was certain, but what methods were being employed? And how long would they keep him alive?

The roads had given way to rough pathways, the houses thinning out so that each dwelling was surrounded by dark patches of land. Thor dismounted as he reached the last of these lodgings, stroking his horses muzzle to calm her. He was just leading her over to a nearby tree to tie up her reins when her ears shot forwards, her nostrils flaring wide. Having learnt from childhood to respect an animal's instincts, Thor turned.

"Who is there?" he demanded, "Show yourself!"

A flame burst into life ahead of him revealing the outline of a man, cloaked as he was, and standing outside the low shack.

"You need fear no threat from me, Your Majesty. I merely wished to know if you required assistance. You are a long way from the palace and the hour is late."

"I have come for a purpose," said Thor, "I seek Raybrook, the sorcerer."

The flame in the man's hand flickered.

"I am he," he said in a low voice.

"Then I pray you grant me an audience after I have tied my horse."

"You need not," said Raybrook, "She will not stray."

Thor hesitated. The horse he had chosen to ride was known to be flighty and easily spooked, she had already demonstrated her unease at being in an unfamiliar environment. She was likely to balk at the slightest disturbance leaving Thor stranded in rather questionable company. On the other hand, an initial demonstration of trust might help to set the tone for the meeting Thor hoped would provide the answers he was looking for. He let the reins drop from his hand. Raybrook turned and entered his shack. Before Thor could follow he was dazzled by light streaming from the open door and window. Flames had leapt where there was neither torch nor candle, handfuls of fire suspended in mid air to light the small but tidy home. Thor tried not to stare at them as he bent to enter the low front door.

"I have nowhere befitting a King to sit," said Raybrook, without sounding abashed, "Perhaps Your Majesty would take the chair by the fire."

And sure enough another large fire erupted in the tiny hearth without Raybrook being anywhere near it. If Thor needed proof that his sources were reliable he had just received it. He took the seat offered to him though he would have preferred to stand. He had deliberately come unarmed but now he was feeling out played. Raybrook lowered himself onto a rickety stool that looked hardly able to take his weight. It creaked but held firm.

"I have questions," said Thor wondering where to begin.

"If there is anything I can do for Your Majesty, I would be happy and willing to serve."

"It is information I seek, not magic."

Raybrook inclined his head. He was of an indeterminate age, sometimes appearing terribly old and at other times as young as Thor himself.

"Information can contain a power greater than any magic," he said, "Though I cannot imagine that anything I can impart would be of any great worth to our King."

"Odin is the King," said Thor feeling his heart harden.

Raybrook said nothing but reached for a pouch of something on the table beside him. He brought a pinch of its contents to his nose, inhaled deeply before replacing the pouch where he had found it without offering it to his guest. Thor thought of what Odin would say if he knew he had visited the den of a known sorcerer and the words came easily to his tongue.

"What do you know of my brother?" Raybrook took his time in answering. His eyes burned black in the light of the fire.

"A brother by bond, not blood. A powerful sorcerer but a lost soul. But surely my own very limited knowledge does not compare with your own."

"Mine is incomplete," said Thor, "What do you know of his power? How strong has he become?"

"You have seen the evidence far better than I," said Raybrook, "To have survived the abyss and to have emerged stronger is not something many could have achieved. I understand he displayed considerable ability during his attack on the Realm of Midgard."

"I did not come here to hear of what I know," snapped Thor, "You are a sorcerer, you have a reputation in the kingdom. What do you know of Loki's power that I cannot obtain from other sources?"

Again, there was a pause. Thor was reminded of the long silences that had stretched between him and Loki during their prison conversations. The depth of the silence was the same, taut with the unspoken and something else, something deeper still.

"Loki has demonstrated astonishing levels of power in one so young," said Raybrook at last, "His motivations may be of the most terrible kind but I am not alone in being awed by the abilities he has shown thus far. Speculation as to what he may have done and the lengths he may have gone to for his knowledge has been partially answered by the appearance of the Chitauri. These are dark creatures, Your Majesty, manifestations of an evil that we sorcerers have felt growing for some time now. Loki must have been very certain or very desperate to align himself with them."

"You say his power is astonishing and yet he was imprisoned here for over a year without even one attempt at escape, perhaps you have overestimated his abilities?"

Raybrook took a deep breath that sounded loud in the small room.

"I fear it is not the sorcerers who are mistaken, Your Majesty, if you truly believe that Loki was not capable of extricating himself."

"Then why did he not?" Thor asked thinking of the way Loki had grasped him that first time, not wanting his only company to leave him, and the terrible cost his isolation had wrought upon him both mentally and physically.

"The answer again lies with the Chitauri," said Raybrook, "They were searching for him. He had broken his promise to them, and a contract with such a force is not one that can be broken without consequence. Perhaps Loki believed that you or your father would protect him should they arrive for him. Apparently he was mistaken."

Thor felt heat rise inside him.

"I cannot overrule the All Father's word."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," said Raybrook soothingly, "I did not mean to anger you. It is clear to the whole kingdom that the decision to hand Loki to the Chitauri was not an easy one and yet there is not a doubt in my mind that it was the right one."

The heat was replaced by a surge of hope.

"You believe that Loki is strong enough to withstand them?"

Another deep breath from Raybrook and the hope within Thor's breast trembled.

"No, Your Majesty," he said, at last, "I do not. Loki's powers were great, yes, but his imprisonment did not come without suffering and even if he were at the height of his strength he is but one against an army whose sole mission is to destroy. No, he cannot withstand them. No one could. The decision your father made, however, was to protect Asgard from their onslaught. Loki chose to deal with the Chitauri, it is he who should suffer the consequences not the innocent."

It was Thor's turn to lapse into silence. He did not know what he had expected. More sympathy for Loki's plight perhaps or better yet a guarantee that the risk he was about to take would be worth taking. Raybrook took another pinch of powder from his pouch and inhaled.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," he said once the pouch was back on the table, "But you seem disappointed. Surely nothing I have said can have come as a surprise to you."

"No," Thor admitted.

Raybrook surveyed him thoughtfully.

"You do not believe that bringing war upon Asgard would have been the right decision."

It was not a question yet Thor felt compelled to answer.

"No, I do not."

"Thus you agree with your father. And yet..." He leaned forwards a little and Thor felt himself subject to a strangely intense form of scrutiny."Yet despite all that Loki has done to harm you and those that you hold dear you retain an immense affection for him. You believe he is not beyond redemption, that you might, in all senses, be able to save him."

"Yes," said Thor, relieved that he had not had to put these thoughts into words himself. Somehow Raybrook had seen deep into his heart and pulled them from him.

"Am I right?" Thor asked, "Can Loki be redeemed?"

Raybrook leaned back. The creaking of the stool may have masked a sigh.

"At this point it is impossible to say whether Loki is even alive."

Before Thor could interject Raybrook raised a hand to indicate that he intended to continue.

"I cannot give you the assurance you seek, Your Majesty, and I am not sure I would even if I were able. It seems to me that you are willing to go to extraordinary lengths for someone who would not do the same for you. You are acting King, you are the rightful Prince of Asgard. Whatever you are planning, you must not endanger yourself."

Thor thought of his mother, holding herself together for the sake of the kingdom. He thought of his father, heartbroken by the loss of a son who had turned from him yet unable to extend the hand that might turn him back. And he thought of Loki expending his last energy appearing beside him to tell him how to open the portal to Earth. Thor placed his hands on the arms of his chair and prepared to stand.

"If you are not prepared to help me, I will take my leave."

"Please, Your Majesty, I am prepared to assist you in any way I can but I am wary of doing so if my suspicions turn out to be correct. Do you truly intend to attempt a rescue?"

"Yes."

Raybrook pressed his index fingers to his lips.

"If I were to reveal the home of the Chitauri, you would find a way to get there?"

"I would need your help with that too."

Raybrook's expression clouded still further.

"I must protest, Your Majesty. Any such action would bring war upon Asgard."

"There will be no war."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but how will you ensure that?"

He waited for a second for Thor to provide some reassurance before saying, "No doubt that is a part of your plan yet to be formed."

He got to his feet, a hand on his back as if the action pained him. He crossed to a cabinet and removed from it a black box that he brought back to his seat.

"There are many things you will need for this plan to be a success. The Chitauri dwell in a place so far from here that even Heimdall cannot see them. You will be out of reach of all help."

"I will not be dissuaded by fearful talk," said Thor, "Proceed."

Raybrook inclined his head slightly.

"I apologise, Your Majesty, but I must warn you. Your power alone will not be enough. You will need sorcery of your own to succeed."

"I am not a sorcerer."

Raybrook gave a slight smile.

"There is no way to do this without magic. It would be beyond foolishness to try."

"What do you suggest then?" said Thor.

Raybrook opened the box in his hands. There was a sphere inside, glowing softly with red light. Thor reached out but Raybrook moved the box away.

"This will help you, Your Majesty. This is your only chance."

 


	8. As You Know Me

 

"Oh...wow!"

Darcy's jaw had dropped. Erik was so excited he could not keep still. And Jane, Jane had no idea what she was looking at. The machine was enormous. It looked like a cross between a super computer and a giant engine. It did not look like a friendly, safe piece of equipment. Erik had started firing questions at Tony and Bruce. Usually Jane would have been interested in both the questions and their answers but she was hardly able to focus on any of the words. She wanted to be alone, all of a sudden. She wanted to have time and space to identify her feelings.

"Are you okay?"

Bruce Banner had drawn close to her elbow. Everyone else was either involved or listening to Erik and Tony's conversation.

"I..."

Jane's first instinct was to lie and cover up her own uncertainty with politeness but there was something about the quiet reserve of Bruce that invited her confidence.

"I just want it to work," she said, "I want...I need him to know that I am still waiting."

Bruce nodded.

"I am confident you will be able to do that. Obviously the intention is to develop the technology further so that we can open a portal between the two Realms."

"Do you think that will be possible?"

"Yes," said Bruce, "It must be possible, we have seen that it can be done. What I do not know is how long it will take. The major obstacle is the power source. Tony's arc reactor is the best the world has and we believe it will be powerful enough to sustain a simple message but we need a lot more before we can consider physical travel."

"The tesseract," said Jane, hesitantly, "That would have been powerful enough?"

"Oh yes," said Bruce, "From what I understand the tesseract would have provided unlimited power, not just for us but for the whole world."

"That's why it was worth fighting for."

Bruce nodded again and Jane drew her jacket closer around her. She knew all about the tesseract. She had read the media reports and done as much research as she could but her most important resource had been Erik who had studied the mysterious object first hand. Even with his skill and all of S.H.I.E.L.D's resources they had barely scratched the surface when it came to understanding its potential and then, of course, Loki had shown up to take it from them. The more valuable the object, the bigger the conflict. Jane became aware that the others had fallen silent. They were waiting for her.

Tony sat her down on a seat facing a flat screen. There were no buttons or dials that Jane could see but when Tony began to talk a whole interactive interface lit up.

"Jarvis, you there?"

"Always, sir. Are we almost ready for the first test?"

"Yes, just run through the last diagnostics."

"Yes, sir. Completion time six and a half minutes."

Jane felt her nerves bite down hard. She was not sure what was going on or what would be expected of her. She was relieved when Bruce reappeared.

"It's very simple," he said, "Just like talking over the internet except we'll be recording what you say and changing the format so that we can send it through space."

"But where will it go? How will we know whether it works?" Jane asked.

"We have used all the information S.H.I.E.L.D has been able to give us regarding the location and positioning of Asgard, plus some that they were not willing to give us." He shot a sly look over at Tony who was still chatting away with Jarvis. "But we have no way of knowing where the message will appear when it gets there. To account for that we are sending a dozen versions of the message in the hope that one of them reaches an area where it will be observed."

"And how long after the message is recorded will it be sent?"

"It will be sent as you are speaking, there will be delay but compared to the time that it will take for the message to travel the distance it needs to go it will be nothing. We wanted to use a recording, thought it might be less stressful for you but the power we need to sustain even a one minute recording and the associated translation into a message burnt out the circuit board so you're going to have only a short time to say all you want to say. Have you prepared anything?"

Jane reached into her jacket pocket and drew out a very creased piece of paper. She had written and rewritten what she wanted to say, starting with every thought in her head and condensing it down until she had a few bare lines that she hoped would convey the contents of her heart. It was harder, however, to think of herself in those lines when so many people were watching her.

"One minute to go," said Jarvis, "Perhaps it would be wise for all non-essential personnel to remove themselves from the room."

"Good idea," said Tony and he clapped his hands, a sharp sound that bounced off the sterile equipment, "You have your orders, troops!"

Before they filed out, Darcy and Erik exchanged words of encouragement. Jane tried to smile back but she was pretty sure her face had frozen. The moment the door closed behind them Jarvis announced that the machine was ready.

"Excellent," said Tony, "Ready, Jane?"

"Maybe we could just take a moment," said Bruce who must have noticed Jane's pallor.

"Is that all right?" Jane asked, worried that she might be cutting into their narrow window of opportunity.

"Quite all right," said Bruce kindly, "We'll start when you're ready and not a moment before. It's only when we start that our time is determined by how long the power holds out. Until then, we're fine so take your time."

Jane stared at the paper in her hands, at the words she had so painstakingly constructed then with one swift movement she crumpled it and placed it back into her pocket.

"Okay," she said, facing the screen, "I'm ready."

 

* * *

 

"You cannot be serious."

Sif was staring at him as if he was insane. Thor had taken her out into the grounds of the palace to talk to her, back to the bridge where he and Loki used to play. The rushing water would hide their voices but if Sif chose to return to the palace and tell everyone what he was planning he knew he was finished. He had no choice, however, he needed to trust someone and she was his oldest friend and truest supporter.

"I cannot believe what you are telling me," she said, passing her hand across her face and worrying at her lower lip, "I thought you grown, I thought you wise and..."

"I am those things," said Thor, "And I am loyal and I place a greater value on the things that really matter."

"But your kingdom! The whole of Asgard is looking to you for guidance."

"Odin will wake soon enough."

"You do not know that, none of us can predict how long the Odinsleep will last."

"Then my mother can rule in my stead, you surely cannot object to her."

"You know I do not," snapped Sif, "But your mother was not born to rule, you were. I thought it was what you wanted!"

"As did I," admitted Thor, "But if this means I forever abdicate my chances of someday wearing the crown then so be it."

"No," said Sif, shaking her head, "I will not allow it. I will put a stop to this madness even if it means that you are locked up in the same cell _he_ has vacated. I knew something like this would happen as soon as you told me you were going to see him. Loki has always managed to get inside you in a way no one else ever has. He knew exactly what to say to get you to sympathise with him and he even told you the way to rescue him."

"He did not," said Thor, "He told me the way to get to Earth."

Sif scowled at him.

"Because if he had told you the way to the Chitauri you would have suspected that you had been played from the start. Oh, he is truly the God of Lies and Deceit! Even I was beginning to think that maybe I had been too harsh in my judgements but my eyes are open now. Do you not see, Thor? Why did Loki not talk to your mother when she came to visit him? Why did he torment her so with cruel silence? Because she was not useful to him, she would never do what he needed to be done but you, more powerful, more courageous, more reckless, you would supply everything he needed, all Loki had to do was wait."

"You speak nonsense," said Thor, "If there was such a plan surely he would have found a way to reach out to me sooner, why wait an entire year? Why exist in loneliness and despair for so long?"

"Because of this!" cried Sif, looking ready to tear her hair out in her frenzy, "Because he knows you better than you know yourself, because only if you saw him truly suffering would you act."

"So you think it right to leave him to his grim fate?" Thor asked hotly, "How long do you think they will torture him? How long before they kill him?"

Sif looked miserably up at the sky.

"Do I wish they had spared him from such torment?" she asked the clouds, "Yes. But would I see my friend and Prince of Asgard slain in his place? Never."

Her eyes dropped and they were shining with tears.

"Please Thor," she begged, "Please reconsider this."

"I cannot."

Sif pressed her lips together, her beautiful face crumpling. Thor pulled her towards him as she started to cry but she held herself stiffly, refusing to relax into his embrace.

"I ask such a small thing of you," he said to the top of her head, placed as it was beneath his chin.

"No," said Sif, "You ask everything of me because as Loki knows you, you know me."

"Does that mean...?"

"Yes," said Sif miserably, "I will help you."

She looked as if she was about to say something else when a messenger burst in upon them, their face red from running.

"Your Majesty, an urgent summons! There has been a message."

"From whom?" asked Thor curiously.

"From Earth."

 

* * *

 

When Thor reached the scene, there was quite a crowd gathered around so that until they parted he could not see what they were all fixated upon. Once they realised he was there, however, they shuffled closer together to create a pathway and he got his first glimpse of a flickering pillar of light that was apparently being projected from the rocky ground. His curiosity turned to utter astonishment when he realised that there was someone within the light, someone he knew very well. Jane was standing in front of him, every part of her exactly as he remembered only this Jane was semi-transparent, the landscape beyond her visible through her silhouette. Thor approached her, not knowing how it was possible that she was before him but feeling such a strong feeling of need that he was barely aware of the eyes that followed him. Jane's lips were moving but he could not hear her until he was standing right up to the light that surrounded her. Some of her words were lost so that only fragments of what she was saying reached him.

"...from Earth...no emergency but...need you to know...miss you..."

Thor reached out his hand and it passed straight through the light and into the projection of Jane herself who was as unaware of his presence as the rocks under his feet.

"...need to know you're safe...please...please...please don't forget about me..."

Thor caught himself before he could reply to her painful entreaty. She could not hear him. Somehow she had been sent here to deliver a message that had been only partially received but she was back on Earth, unable to see or hear him. The message began again.

"What does it mean?" people were whispering, their anxiety clouding the air, "Who is she?"

Thor did not know how to answer them, the only thing he knew for sure was that the time for planning was over, the time for action had come.

 


	9. The Searcher Finds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be aware that this chapter contains descriptions of the aftermath of violence.

 

Thor hit the ground hard. His head was still spinning from his stomach churning journey through the portal but he forced himself to scramble to his feet, Mjolnir gripped securely in his hand. He did not know what to expect from the land of the Chitauri so was unable to determine whether Raybrook's instructions and his own calculations were correct from the terrain alone. His only proof would come when he saw one of the creatures and he was hoping that would not happen before he got his breath back.

Back on Asgard, Sif would be repositioning the tesseract according to his precise instructions, closing the way Thor had just come and opening the pathway to Earth. At least, he hoped that was what she was doing, there were only about a million things that might go wrong. Thor pushed the thought of home to the back of his mind, he needed to focus.

Pulling out the globe Raybrook had given him, Thor felt it tremble in his palm. The sorcerer had called it a Searcher and had intoned complicated verses over it while Thor had watched. It was a temporary store of magic, Raybrook had told him, a way not only to find Loki but to remain invisible while doing so but the strength of the magic would not last long, Thor had to be as quick as he could. He released the glowing sphere and it immediately sped off, a train of red light leading the way. As Thor broke into a run to follow, Raybrook's words rang in his ears:

_"You must be quick, Your Majesty. If you are discovered you bring death upon yourself and war upon Asgard."_

It was not long before Thor had confirmation that he was in the right place. His first sighting of a Chitauri soldier was followed swiftly by others. Thor passed within inches of them, his muscles tensed for a fight but they paid him no heed. It was an eerie feeling, passing unseen amongst the enemy like a ghost but Thor knew he should be grateful. He could never hope to prevail alone against such numbers much less successfully extricate Loki from wherever he was being held.

The Searcher flew on. The landscape was barren, red rock and towering stone. It was not a place to linger or find comfort. Rounding an enormous rocky outcrop, Thor saw that the Searcher was leading him towards a towering stone building. Is this what Loki had seen upon his arrival? Thor picked up the pace. Guards were thick on the ground now but they parted for the Searcher and doors opened to allow them both to pass through. Despite his magical aid Thor never let his grip on Mjolnir diminish. Raybrook had been unable to give him a definite time frame and there was no guarantee he would reach Loki before the magic wore off.

As the Searcher flew up flights of stairs and Thor climbed higher the guards' presence increased still further. He lost count of how many guards and how many steps when suddenly the Searcher shot off down a straight corridor stopping at the end to hover in front of a closed door. Before Thor could even begin to wonder what to do, it burst open and five Chitauri came pouring out. Abruptly the Searcher began to glow brighter than ever and without warning it took off back the way it had come, the Chitauri in hot pursuit. Thor knew without having to wait for confirmation that the protection had come to an end, he was on his own.

Without waiting to consider his options Thor stepped through the open door into the chamber beyond, pulling the door closed behind him. He sealed it as best he could before turning back into the room. What he saw tore a hole right into his heart.

Thor had known that when he found Loki it would be awful but the reality hit him hard. Loki was unconscious and bound to a stone tablet which held him upright in the centre of the chamber. He was stripped to the waist, his skin mottled with a horrific pattern of bruises. Worst of all were the tendril like instruments that were piercing him all over and snaking like jet black veins beneath his skin. They entered between his ribs, through his chest, beneath his shoulders, through the back of his hands and three cruel barbs pinned Loki's head, sharp claws burrowing their way straight into his skull. His face, utterly bloodless, was partially obscured by a tight gag. Thor wanted to reach for it and tear it from him but was afraid that the slightest touch might do more harm than good.

Thor circled the tablet looking for a way to release Loki but the Chitauri's methods were as obscure as their covered faces. He tried not to think about how long his brother had been held here or how much pain he had endured, he could not think about that now, he just had to get him out. As he tried unsuccessfully to find a gentle way to break the bonds that held Loki in place there was a scrambling at the door followed by a thump and then a long, piercing whistle. The Chitauri had returned. Thor had no choice. He ripped the gag from Loki's mouth and hit him none too gently around the face. Loki's eyes opened, irises full of pain, and Thor clamped his hand over his mouth.

"Loki, you need to listen to me," he said trying to ignore the ever more insistent sounds coming from the door behind him, "You have to tell me how to release you. Can you do that?"

Loki did not even seem to recognise him. Having woken, his body was becoming aware once more of its violent invasion. Thor tried to get Loki to focus on him but the shock and the pain were too much. Knowing he had only seconds Thor raised Mjolnir. To his surprise Loki followed the hammer with his eyes and the tiny spark of hope Thor saw cut him to the core.

"I'm not here to kill you, Loki," he said, "Just hang on a little longer."

Mjolnir struck powerfully against the bonds that held Loki firm as the door burst open. Turning, Thor wielded the thunder hammer as the Chitauri charged.

 

* * *

 

Loki's mind was a pure white scream. There were things crawling underneath his skin, needle like daggers in his head. He was almost unaware of the battle around him as the hand Thor had managed to free travelled in trembling horror over the damage. Panic was rising in his throat like bile. Shock was holding back the worst of the pain but it was coming, white hot and drawing ever closer. Pulling the wires from his skin was a terrible pleasure that once started could not stopped. He tore at them, crying out at the pain of it but unable to stop. Finally when only the spikes in his skull remained he became aware that someone was shouting at him.

"Loki...time...now...!"

There was blood inside his mouth, salt against his teeth.

"Loki, listen to me!"

A violent shake rattled his bones, his nerves on fire. Thor was standing in front of him, his mouth moving, words pouring out. Thor. Asgard. Images flashed disjointed and senseless. Thor pressed something into Loki's hand but he could not hold it and whatever it was fell to the ground with a clang.

"Please Loki, you need to fight."

His hands were moving up to Loki's head and fear took over.

"Don't-fight-me!"

A noise made Thor spin around, a new wave of Chitauri had arrived. A sword cut through the air. Thor ducked and the blade connected with something just above Loki's head. It took Loki several long moments to realise that he was free. The barbs were still in place but having been severed he could move. He wanted to pull them out but he was too afraid to touch them. A cry distracted him, one of the Chitauri had sliced Thor across the arm with its blade. Realisation dawned on Loki, fighting its way through the haze of sickening hurt. Thor was here. Thor was fighting for him. Thor had come to save him. Loki reached up and took hold of the Chitauri sword that had inadvertently freed him. Gripping the handle hurt, his bruised hand howling in protest, lifting it cost him still more precious energy but Loki was determined that if he was to have only one strike he was going to make it count.

 

* * *

 

Thor was well aware that the numbers were against him but he did not need to take on the whole army, he only needed enough time between attacks to use the dark energy he had taken from his father's store on Asgard. Blood dripped from a slicing wound on his arm, the cost of a moment's carelessness. The second Chitauri wave were better trained and better armed than the first had been. Mjolnir was little help in such close quarters, its full strength curbed but the longer the fight drew on the closer the reinforcements drew.

One fighter remaining, Thor raised the hammer high but the Chitauri warrior he faced had anticipated his haste. Sword point shot towards Thor's chest and then stopped, suddenly arrested by a second sword thrust with unexpected force and accuracy underneath Thor's raised arm. The Chitauri gurgled its last breath as Loki stood over him, the look of bloody vengeance upon his brother's face terrible to witness.

Thor wasted no time. Reaching into his pocket he drew out the dark energy the sorcerer Raybrook had given to him. Loosening the tie around the pouch it was contained within, Thor emptied the contents over the floor and watched the swirling hole appear, a widening circle to another world. They had to leave before Chitauri arrived. If he was seen, if Thor - King of Asgard - was linked to this rescue, it would be war upon his Realm, a war he would not be there to fight. It was too late for that sort of thought, however, he had made up his mind. Looking up, Thor was just in time to see Loki's eyes roll upwards, his body failing him. Thor fell with him into the black tunnel that pressed against them from all sides and as they fell Thor felt his grip on Loki slip, his brother falling away from him into eternity.

 


	10. From The Ocean Pulled

 

First it was light, then it was cold, then a hard smack as if he had passed through a pane of glass into a greedy, heavy medium  which contained no air. His limbs flailed, instinct kicking in as water flooded Thor's mouth and nose. He kicked, lungs bursting, head pounding. Kick, pull, kick. Breaking the surface was sweet relief. He coughed and breathed, wheezing, gagging, fighting to keep his head above water. Salt stung his eyes, his nose and the back of his throat burning. His awareness of where, when and how was only partial but an urgent need pushed itself rudely to the forefront of his mind. He span round, treading water, hair in his eyes.

"Loki? Loki!"

The water pulsed around him, waves rolling and breaking.

"Loki!"

He was bobbing up and down on the churning water, his hands reaching out in the vain hope that they might find Loki without need of his eyes. He was about to dive down when something orange flashed past him. An inflatable ring had appeared some distance from him attached to a rope. Thor followed the rope with his eyes and saw, cresting a wave, a small boat, sails taut against the wind. A figure was standing at the bow, hands cupped over their mouth but Thor could not hear the words. Nevertheless he guessed what he had to do. Swimming over to the ring with broad, strong strokes he grabbed hold and saw the figure gesture to another. Slowly but surely he was hauled aboard.

The solid deck of the boat tilted beneath him as he coughed up the water in his lungs. The figure turned out to be a woman dressed from head to foot in bright purple waterproofs. She knelt beside him, her questions coming thick and fast.

"Are you okay? My God, it was lucky we found you! Where did you come from? You dropped out of the sky! Was there some kind of plane accident? Are you injured? There's a cut on your arm!"

Thor looked up into her curious, pink cheeked face.

"My brother..." he panted, "I need to find my brother."

A flash of something passed across the woman's features. She took half a glance behind her.

"We did find someone else, moments before you, but he's..."

Thor scrambled to his feet, pushing past her to see what she was blocking. Further down the deck another human, a man this time, was counting out loud, his hands folded together and pressing down hard on a bruised and bleeding chest. Thor stumbled over to them, slipping on the wet wood, his heart burning. Loki's eyes were closed, he was not moving, his lips were blue. Thor watched numbly as the man breathed his own breath into Loki, watched the tortured chest rise then fall, watched the man's forceful compressions start again.

"We've sent out a mayday." The woman had appeared at his shoulder. "Help is on its way."

But they both knew that any help was going to come too late. The man working so hard to save Loki's life wiped his forehead with the back of his hand before administering the breath of life again. If Loki were present anywhere in his body surely the objection to a human effectively kissing him would have been raised however feebly. Thor wanted to get hold of him and shake him but he was afraid of what would snap inside him if Loki still not wake.

"You should sit down, I have blankets..."             

The woman was fussing around him but Thor shrugged her off.

Four...five...six...the man kept counting the beats of Loki's heart.

"Please, let me..." the woman said trying to take Thor's arm. Thor was about to shake her off when he realised she was trying not to cry, the too bright eyes and the shrill edge to her voice giving it away. They had been sailing across the sea, enjoying the challenge, free to be together when they had been plunged into this nightmare. She did not want someone to die on her boat.

"Where's the hell's the other boat?" the man cried out. He was tiring, his efforts futile. Thor blinked his vision clear. No, it was not going to end like this. His hand flexed and he felt the connection to Mjolnir stretch. He must have dropped it as he fell for now he felt it speed upwards through leagues of darkest blue, up, up, up to the distant surface. When it burst through the woman screamed. Thor's hand warmed at the familiar touch of the smooth handle. Lightning crashed across the sky.

"What the...?"

For the first time the man stopped his life saving efforts. Thor stepped towards him.

"Step away," he commanded.

"If I do that this man dies," the man said bravely.

"Please David," the woman cried, "Do as he says!"

As the man stumbled backwards into the arms of the woman, Thor heard the thrumming of helicopters which had to be the help the woman had referred to but would they be able to do anything now? Thor raised Mjolnir just as a voice called down from overhead.

"Put down your weapon!"

Lightning burst from the gathered clouds but it did not strike Mjolnir. If it did not save him it would kill him... The woman was screaming, the man yelling.

"Lay down your weapon and raise your hands above your head!"

Thor knew their weapons would not hurt him but cooperation was the fastest way to gain help for Loki but if even the fastest aid was going to be too slow he needed to act. Desperation made him turn his face to the stormy sky. As the lightning struck Mjolnir Thor felt the power flood through him. He needed to control it, he needed to be careful and he needed to hope. Armoured men were descending from ropes all around him as Thor pointed Mjolnir at Loki. He was afforded a single glimpse of bright, terrified eyes and a spray of water and blood before the soldiers closed in.

 

* * *

 

 

The room they had placed him in was small and white with no windows and one locked door. Thor was dry and warm, Mjolnir on the floor beside him and a streaming cup of coffee on the table before him. Various people had come and gone, each one asking if he needed anything, each one promising that he would be able to leave soon.

"Protocol," they said. Not one of them had anything to say about Loki. Was he alive? Were they taking care of him? The last man to come in, the one who had brought the coffee, had told him that Director Fury was on his way.

"He will answer all your questions, sir. Shouldn't be long now."

Thor stood up. He did not like being confined. Was Loki somewhere close? Should he forget about this waiting politely and attempt to find him? No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than the door opened and Director Fury strode into the room.

"Well," he said grimly surveying Thor through his remaining eye, "You have caused me a considerable amount of trouble. I understood that Loki was to remain in custody on Asgard so perhaps you can explain to me why he is back in the one place I was assured he would never return."

Thor opened his mouth to begin the explanation that was going to take some time to complete but in the end it was the only question he cared about that came bursting out of him.

"Is Loki alive?"

Fury fixed him with the hardest of glares.

"It seems so, for the moment."

It was hardly an answer to inspire confidence.

"What I want to know," Fury continued, "Is why you have endangered Earth again by bringing him here."

"You have seen him?"

Fury nodded once.

"Then you know he is no threat."

"Forgive me for needing a little more than that," said Fury sardonically. He indicated the chair Thor had vacated and took the seat opposite. "From the beginning then."

Thor spoke. He described Loki's sentencing, the long separation that followed, the condition Thor had found him in when he had finally been permitted to see him. At no point did Fury's expression soften or change. Evidently he was firmly on Odin's side of the argument when it came to the severity of Loki's punishment. He showed no surprise when Thor told him about the Chitauri's demands. He did, however, ask one question: "So despite seeing the devastation Loki wrought on Earth and having fought so hard to stop him, you still felt compelled to save him?"

"He is my brother," said Thor simply.

Fury sighed deeply.

"So it was the Chitauri who caused his injuries?"

Thor nodded.

"Will they come searching for him?" Fury asked sharply.

"Not on Earth. They may go to Asgard but they will meet with only death there."

"Along with a lot of your people," said Fury, "Tell me, is Loki really worth that sacrifice?"

"You know not of what you speak. This is the way of Asgard."

"And yet you did not take Loki back to Asgard, did you?" said Fury, slamming his fist down on the table, "You brought him here! To my world and my people! Did you believe he would receive protection here after what he did? Did you think that your appeal would be enough to stop me from ordering his execution?"

Thor leapt to his feet.

"You dare threaten a son of Asgard! The full might of Odin will be upon you if you do!"

Fury's eyebrow rose sceptically.

"I wonder what kind of a fool you take me for. _You_ may have the might of Asgard behind you but Loki does not." He stood sharply. "You have given me much to think about, Thor, but you are not a prisoner and there is someone waiting for you."

Thor was so preoccupied with thoughts of Loki that Fury's words confused him. Who else was there? Fury was holding the door open.

"Come," he said impatiently, "She has been another headache for me, one that you _can_ solve."

The realisation was like a burst of sunlight, the first true warmth Thor had felt since being pulled from the ocean. She was waiting for him and she was here. Jane.

 

* * *

 

 

Jane had been told it would be a few minutes over an hour ago. A helicopter had landed on the landing pad on top of Stark Tower and only she had permitted to enter. She had climbed in and climbed out none the wiser. Inside the S.H.I.E.L.D base she had been told that Thor had been found with Loki in the middle of the ocean. Jane's many questions - Was he hurt? Where was he now? When could she see him? - had remained unanswered. She was not locked inside the room but every time she plucked up the courage to pull open the door a different S.H.I.E.L.D employee told her it would not be long. Once, about half an hour in, an alarm had sounded. Jane had pulled open the door to see people running down the corridor, guns out.

"Protocol," the agent standing by the door said though his tight lipped smile was not in the least bit reassuring.

When the door opened again, Jane span around ready to fight for answers but instead of another agent someone else walked in. The joy was physical, it felt strong enough to lift her off her feet. She did not run across the room, she flew.

"You're here!"

It was all she could say and she was so happy. She was crying, sucking air and weeping as if she might never stop.

"Jane, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I thought you'd never come back. I thought you'd forgotten about me. And then today I thought something terrible had happened to you. They would not tell me anything. I..."

"Jane, it is all right, I am here."

Thor stroked her head and held her until a cough caused them to break apart. Jane recognised Agent Hill and immediately felt threatened. Were they about to try and remove her from Thor already? Well, let them try, _let them try_!

"Sorry to interrupt," she said without sounding sorry at all, "But Director Fury told me to escort you to the secure wing."

Jane looked at Thor.

"What's in the secure wing?"

Thor met her eyes.

"Loki."

"You mean..." Jane looked from Thor to Agent Hill. "...your brother?"

Thor nodded.

"The brother who tried to take over Earth and subjugate all of mankind?"

A slightly weary smile tugged momentarily at the corner of Thor's mouth.

"The very same."

"Why is here? Are we in danger?"

It was at this point that Agent Hill inserted herself once again.

"We are not releasing details to civilians," she said briskly, "Thor, if you would accompany me, I will..."

But Thor had turned and squared up to the comparatively diminutive agent causing her to falter. For the first time Agent Hill did not look in charge.

"Jane is no civilian," said Thor, his anger making his voice boom, "Anything that involves me involves her and you will at all times treat her with the respect she deserves. Anything less and I will be forced to take action against you."

Agent Hill's eyes flickered once to Jane, her cheeks reddening.

"Yes, of course. It's only...Director Fury..."

"You will now lead us to the secure wing, _both_ of us," said Thor in the same impressive tone. Agent Hill blanched but did not argue although Jane noticed that she was already reaching for her comms device.

"I will need to check with Director Fury," she said in a small voice.

"Very well," said Thor turning his back on her, "We will wait here."

Agent Hill disappeared out of the room to make her call. The moment she was gone Jane beamed with delight, reached up and pulled Thor down for the most passionate kiss so far. His eyes widened as if to ask, what was that for, but Jane simply smiled, her happiness overflowing. How could Thor have known that the one thing she wanted second to seeing him again was to wipe that smug look off Agent Hill's too perfect face? So what if the world was at risk from Loki again, it might just have been worth it for that moment alone.

* * *

 

When Agent Hill returned she put a brave face on the fact that her word had been overruled by Director Fury who had allowed Jane to accompany Thor down to the secure wing. She led the way, Thor following hand in hand with Jane. How he wished he could simply leave this place with her and find somewhere beautiful and secluded where they could be alone. The feeling of her hand in his was blissful, its soft shapeliness more wonderful than he had remembered. She had no idea what was going on but trusted him enough to walk alongside him towards an enemy she must fear.

Thor wanted to tell her everything, he knew he would explain at the first opportunity, but this was no time for such words. His grip on her hand tightened as his mind travelled ahead of them all forming a picture of what they were about to see. Would it be worse than seeing Loki's lifeless body on the deck of the boat? Would it be worse than the torture chamber back on the Chitauri's home planet?

And the blackest question of all, would Loki live?

               

* * *

 

 

The Other approached the throne with extreme trepidation. When he had been told that Loki had escaped from their heavily guarded fortress his rage had been extreme. A pile of Chitauri bodies now lay at the entrance of that same fortress, their corpses a stinking warning to all the rest. He was still not convinced that he would allow the rest to live, of course what he decided might mean very little if the one he reported to had a similarly brutal reaction. The Other took the last few steps, clinging to his miserable life for as long as it continued to exist.

"What is it?"

The voice of his master clawed across The Other's soul. He could still only see the back of the throne which had been turned to look out upon the boundless universe.

"I have terrible news, sir."

"No doubt. Why else would you come?"

"You have my deepest apologies, sir."

"What has happened?"  

The Other swallowed hard. He could no longer avoid revealing what had occurred. He bowed down as low as he could knowing that the master could see him.

"The prisoner has escaped, sir."

There was a long, deep silence. The Other counted his breaths. If he reached one hundred he would live. He reached sixty three when the master stood and came round the throne to face him. Thanos always presented a terrible sight, intimidation in every piece of armour, every dark glint in his eyes, every sharp tooth.

"Loki has escaped?"

The Other could not bear to look up as he answered.

"Yes."

"Did he talk?"

"The information we gained was not conclusive."

Thanos released a hiss. The Other could feel himself begin to shake. He had lost count of his breaths.

"How did he escape?"

"We believe he was assisted but no witnesses were left alive."

"Asgardian?"

"I...we cannot be sure, sir, but we will begin the search for him immediately."

"No."

"No, sir?"

"Your services are no longer required."

"You are severing your allegiance with the Chitauri?"

The Other looked up at last, fear setting his nerves on fire. He knew he would never reach one hundred.

 

* * *

 

 

When The Other's body stopped twitching, Thanos slowly returned his attention to the sky. Death surrounded him and for that he was grateful for The Other's spectacular incompetence. Her beautiful embrace made any situation sweeter.

Besides, he had not really expected the Chitauri to prevail over the sorcerer Loki. Let Loki believe he was free, let him regain his strength and become useful once more. Thanos would watch and wait and he would embrace Death all the harder while he did so until such time as Loki's power became useful to him once again.

 

               


	11. Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you do not like descriptions of pain, please look away now.

 

The room was sealed, the doors locked so that every person - be they doctor, nurse or agent - was required to press their forefinger to a touch pad to pass through but Thor and Jane could see through a large, reinforced glass window. They could hear nothing but Thor could imagine the noises within. Machines beeping, voices ordering, rubber soled footsteps on the shining floor, the clatter of sharp metal instruments on trays. Thor remembered when he had woken in a hospital on Earth, remembered the violence of his reaction, the repellence of the intrusion upon his body. He pressed his hands to the glass, wishing himself through it. Was Loki aware of anything that was going on around him? He was barely recognisable, the antiseptic white walls casting a sickly light over where he lay. He had a tube down his throat and needles dripping liquids into his veins. Despite the bandages that covered his chest and arms he looked as tortured as he had done with the Chitauri. Three hard spikes were still protruding from his forehead, the skin around them bruised and inflamed. Beside him, Jane was only able to look for moments at a time, her hands pressed to her mouth.

"What happened?" she whispered.

Thor struggled to push his voice past the lump in his throat.

"You should not have to see this," he said, "He is nothing to you."

Jane came closer to him and placed a hand over his.

"Things are never that simple," she said softly, "I'm going to ask Agent Hill what she knows."

As she pulled away, Thor almost asked her to stay. He needed to know everything that S.H.I.E.L.D had discovered about Loki's condition but at the same time he did not want anyone to tell him everything. Didn't he already know the truth? Couldn't he see it through the glass? Loki - fallen Prince of Asgard, sorcerer hell bent on domination and revenge - was being kept alive by creatures he despised. If Loki survived, would he thank them? If Loki survived, would he acknowledge the sacrifices Thor had made to save him? If Loki survived, what would become of him? If he did not, what would become of Thor?

Jane came hurrying back, her footsteps unnaturally loud in the silent space.

"They're preparing him for surgery. They're going to try and remove those..."

Thor did not blame her for stumbling.

"Surgery?" he said, "Loki cannot have surgery."

"Why?" Jane asked, "Is there something I should tell Agent Hill?"

Thor could not look at her. Surgery was human butchery. Had Loki not been tortured enough without being sliced apart with knives?

"There must be another way," he said, "Tell them to find another way."

"I don't think there is another way," said Jane gently, "It may not be the way things are done on Asgard but the surgeons know what they're doing. You have to trust them, Thor...if you can't do that then you need to trust me."

"I do trust you," said Thor, his breath misting the glass.

"And if you tell me that saving Loki is the right thing to do I will trust you," said Jane.

Thor tore his eyes away from Loki for the first time. Jane was standing before him, her humanity like a fierce glow around her. She was the one who had enabled him to see the greatness and uniqueness of humanity for the first time, she embodied everything about mankind that was worth fighting for and Loki had been ready to extinguish her flame along with the rest of her species. Her planet had been under the most dire threat due entirely to Loki's actions yet here was Jane ready to fight for him if Thor said the word. Could he guarantee that Loki would pose no danger to any of them? No. Could he turn away and let Loki's light fade out? No.

"I have to believe he is worth saving," he said, "And he will never hurt another human being, I will personally ensure it."          

Jane gave a short nod then looked back into the room where Loki's doctors still worked.

"I trust you," she said and her hand found his once again.

 

* * *

 

              

"So you're telling me that the very same homicidal, demi-god that terrorised Earth, killed scores of innocent employees of this very institution as well as others and was very nearly responsible for causing my own premature demise is currently back on Earth being seen to be S.H.I.E.L.D's finest surgeons?"

Nick Fury looked the furious Tony Stark straight in the eye.

"Yes."

Stark blinked and then turned away, speechless for the first time Fury could remember. His jet had arrived minutes after the helicopter had brought Jane. Fury had not been surprised, a top secret base was never going to remain hidden from Stark if he decided he wanted to find it. He had not come alone. Dr Banner, Pepper Potts, and the physicists Erik Selvig and Darcy, Jane's colleagues, had piled out of the jet and into Fury's formerly ordered life.

"I don't understand," said Pepper who was seated opposite Fury, "Was he intercepted? Did Thor manage to stop him before...?"

Fury sighed. He felt very weary all of a sudden.

"It seems our friend Loki was enjoying some re-education in the hands of the Chitauri but big brother Thor decided that he had suffered enough. He brought him here and our present course is to continue to save him."

"Why?" Stark snapped, "Wouldn't it be easier to let him die rather than have us all have to come together to kill him once he's recovered enough to remember that he hates us all?"

There were a few distasteful expressions but no one disagreed.

"For once, I agree with you," said Fury, "But do you fancy telling Thor?"

"Sure, I'll tell him," said Stark, unperturbed.

"Yeah?" said Fury, "Brought your suit?"

Stepping in as Stark simmered, the more diplomatic Bruce Banner attempted to make sense of things his own way.

"I presume the containment area where Loki is being held has been upgraded considering what happened the last time."

"Lessons have been learned."

Stark made a noise like one of his cars backfiring. Pepper stood and walked to him, their heads moving together as they travelled towards the corner of the room to confer amongst themselves.

"And what condition is Loki in exactly?" Bruce asked, "You haven't been very specific as to the nature of his injuries or how serious they are."

"Plenty serious," replied Fury, "It has been suggested to me that even if Loki does wake he may not regain full physical or mental function. It seems inevitable that if he remembers what happened to him there will be a considerable amount of trauma."

"A brain damaged demi-god," said Bruce, nodding, "Just what we need."

He gave Fury a sympathetic look and Fury believed that of all the people in the room Bruce Banner was the only one who understood the dilemma that had been dropped in his lap. He may have shot strong words at Thor about the might of Asgard but the fact was Fury had no idea how Odin might react if Loki died on their planet. Let's face it, the father of the Gods was not known to be an understanding entity. Could anyone really predict how he might react to the news of his adopted son's death? No matter what Odin had done or been prepared to do to Loki, someone else taking the matter out of his hands might not be met with tolerance. The Avengers may have been able to defend the Earth from one demi-god but if Odin in his wrath sent an army, there would be no stopping them.

Lost in his own thoughts, Fury did not immediately notice that two people had come up close to him. It was only when one of them said, "Director Fury, may we have a word?" that he looked up. Erik and Darcy were standing together, Erik looking a little apprehensive, Darcy downright terrified.

"We just want to know if Jane is all right," said Erik, "We haven't heard and..."

"She's fine. She's with Thor. The last I heard they had gone down to see Loki."

Darcy gave a little squeak and pressed a hand over her mouth. Erik placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Darcy and I are a little worried about Jane's proximity to Loki. We just want her to be safe."

Fury was losing his patience with the lot of them. There were no easy answers for him or for any of them. Jane had a choice and she had made that choice clear when she had refused to let the matter of contacting Thor go, when she had joined forces with Stark and Banner, and they had made their choices clear when they had violated direct orders to keep their work a secret. If they wanted to do things their way, they were more than welcome, but Nick Fury was damn well going to do things his way too.

"You know what I want?" he said, raising his voice to include the whole room, "I want to have five minutes peace from people trying to undermine each other and finding fault with every decision that's been made. I want a little quiet so that I can think about the best way that S.H.I.E.L.D can handle this situation. And, most of all, I want you all to show me the tiniest bit of faith."

"Sure thing, boss," said Stark sarcastically from his corner, "After all, you and your organisation have proved themselves to be nothing but trustworthy so what's another leap of faith going to cost us?"

Fury did not rise to the bait. He simply stood up, told everyone they were welcome to wait and left them to it. If he was really lucky Stark would ride his own hot air all the way back home.

 

* * *

 

It was a strange group who ended up sitting in the improvised waiting room while Loki underwent surgery on one of the floors below them. It seemed that the room was split between those hoping for good news and those with darker desires. Tony Stark was the leader of the latter group and his outspoken support of the idea that Loki should be left to die had sent Thor into a rage. Having squared up to each other, the two of them had been separated by Bruce and the distressed women at which point Thor had left the room and Tony had retreated to a seat by himself where he had pulled out a tablet and had begun to tap angrily at it with his stylus. Pepper had tried to approach him but he had snapped at her. Although she had not looked put off by this she had retreated and taken a seat next to Bruce who volunteered to get them all coffee. Jane wondered if she should go after Thor but decided against it, he needed space. She sat with Erik and Darcy, wondering how her life had come to this. She used to be a normal person. Lonely but normal or maybe lonely was normal. She had a job, good colleagues, good friends. She drank wine on a Friday night and her secret dream had been to win the Nobel Prize. She had thoughts of love, of course she had, but it had not been her be all and end all, and the short relationships that came her way had sustained her until the next one. She had not believed in God, let alone gods. The most complex alien life she ever gave any thought to were the simplest of bacteria. And the biggest threats to Earth had been climate change and nuclear warfare.

"Erik?"

He leaned closer, ever ready to listen to her. Jane's heart gave a little squeeze.

"Should I be hoping for Loki to live or die?"

Erik gave her a compassionate look. He took her hand and held it sandwiched between his own. His shirt was rumpled from the plane ride and the waiting, and there was stubble on his cheeks and chin lending him a worn look. Loki had taken him hostage, Jane had not forgotten that, he had used him to build the portal to let the Chitauri down the Earth. Erik had been forced to be part of the evil. All of Jane's feelings would be raging within Erik's chest too.

"Jane, I cannot tell you how to feel. No one can. I am just hoping for peace, for all of us."

Footsteps running down the corridor towards them made them all look up. So much for peace, thought Jane, as Agent Hill burst in. She looked from face to face.

"Where's Thor?"

"He's..."

But Agent Hill was gone. Jane did not let herself think. She was on her feet and running before anyone could stop her. She saw Agent Hill running and talking into her comm simultaneously. An alarm began to ring overhead, a piercing shriek. Out of nowhere, Thor appeared ahead of them. He was running too.

"What is happening?" he asked grasping Agent Hill by the shoulders.

"We need you," she said simply.

"I'm coming," said Jane. Both Thor and Agent Hill looked at her but neither one argued.

"You must come with me," said Agent Hill, "Loki has woken up."

They ran, all three of them. Jane could feel her heart pounding hard. More than half of her was sure they should be running in the opposite direction. She was scared of what they were about to see. Why had Loki woken in the middle of surgery? Why couldn't they put him back under? Why did they need Thor? What manner of evil was she moving towards? If Thor had any doubts about what they were doing he certainly did not show it as he charged after Agent Hill. When they reached the operating theatre it was to find the doctors and nurses all standing outside, still masked, gloved and gowned. A few of them had blood on their blue scrubs. Jane's stomach turned over.

"What are you doing out here?" Thor asked them, "I thought you were trying to fix my brother."

"They were," said Agent Hill who seemed barely out of breath, "But he woke up halfway through the procedure and Director Fury was very clear that no one was to put themselves in harm's way."

"But he was anesthetised surely," said Jane, "Couldn't you...?"

 Agent Hill directed her attention towards her.

"It seems Asgardians have a different constitutional make up. The anaesthetic is not working."

"So he's woken up mid-procedure?" Jane asked, feeling sick, "And he's still awake?"

Agent Hill gave a short, grim nod and gestured towards a screen that everyone else was already staring at with rapt attention. It showed the inside of the operating theatre where Loki lay, strapped down but clearly awake and in considerable distress. Thor pushed past them all to the double doors, hammering against them until one of the doctors pressed their finger to the touch sensitive pad and they swung open. Jane moved to follow him but Agent Hill held her back.  

"Director Fury was very clear that only Thor was permitted to enter."

"But how's Thor going to know what to do?" Jane asked, "He doesn't know anything about human medicine."

"You cannot go in there," said Agent Hill, "If Loki..."

But Jane had just remembered something and had taken off at a sprint back the way they had come. There was another doctor, one who was strong enough to take anything that Loki might throw at him, one that even Director Fury must surely allow to help Thor.

 

* * *

 

Thor knew he never should have allowed the humans to operate on Loki. Just as he had feared it had turned into another torture for him. They had strapped him to the table, presumably because they had feared this might happen though it had not been presented an option to Thor at any point. Loki's eyes were wide open, his fingernails tearing at the table beneath him but he could not free them. There was a different tube in his mouth, choking him. Thor tore off the bandages that held it in place and, very gently, pulled it from Loki's throat. It was surprisingly long and removing it made Thor feel sick with anger. What kind of devilry was this? What conceivable use could such a device have other than to torture the helpless patient? The moment he had removed it Thor flung it aside as Loki gasped for air, giving little moans of pain with every inhalation.

Thor pressed his hands to Loki's face, holding it still.

"Just breathe, Loki, just breathe. I'm here now, everything's going to be all right."

Loki's eyes focused on him but showed no signs of recognition, only sheer terror.

"Loki, can you hear me? Do you know who I am?"

Loki continued to fight to breathe, pleading with his eyes.

"Just breathe," said Thor, "Don't fight, just breathe."

After a minute or so Loki's breathing steadied enough for him to attempt to speak.

"I...will..."

Thor wanted him to stop, it was too painful to watch him try to speak and hear the strained sounds but it was evident that Loki had something he really wanted to communicate so Thor listened, trying to make sense of it.

"...get it...for you..."

"You'll get what?" Thor asked.

"I'll...get it...don't...please don't..."

"Loki, do you recognise me? Do you know who I am?"

Panic. Fear. Pain. No recognition.

"Loki, look at me. You know me."

Loki looked as if he was trying desperately to come up with the right answer. His eyes scanned Thor's, searching for the missing clue. If he got the answer wrong, what would happen?

"I.."

He struggled and failed.

"I'll get it," he whispered, "I will. Please..."

Tears formed in the corners of Loki's eyes and fell, one after the other so that Thor felt them on his hands.

"Please," Loki said again so quietly that Thor was lip reading more than listening, "Please don't hurt me again."

"I'm not going to hurt you, Loki," said Thor and he heard his own voice break somewhere in the middle, "I want to help you. I'm here to help you."

Saying that Thor had no idea where to start. Only one of the spikes had been removed from Loki's skull, the other two remaining where they were. Thor was momentarily distracted by the startling realisation that they had shaved Loki's head so that only a sparse black bristles remained. These surgeons were barbarians! The door behind him opened. Turning, Thor saw Bruce Banner walk in, his attire matching those of the doctors that were gathered outside looking on using the monitor.

"Jane thought you might need a hand," he said as the doors closed behind him, "And as I am a doctor I thought..."

"Thank you."

Thor's relief made him smile but it slipped from his face almost immediately as Loki gave a whimper of pain through clenched teeth. Bruce made his way over, taking in everything from the restraints to the half finished job to the very obvious fact that Loki was not, as he should have been, asleep.

"Okay," he said, "Well, I'm guessing we want to start with..."

Loki had tensed at the sound of a second voice. An unknown element in his restricted, agony filled world.

"Look at me, Loki."

 Loki's attention came obediently back to Thor. Without taking his eyes off Loki, Thor began to speak to Bruce.

"You need to take the spikes out of him."

"Well, first I'd need to find a way to put him under, you know, make him sleep so he doesn't feel..."

"That will take too long," said Thor, "They need to come out now."

"I can't just pull them out!" said Bruce, shocked, "That could cause all sorts of damage. I need scans, I need..."

"Loki can handle it."

"That's a big risk you're taking on an assumption," said Bruce, "No offence but he doesn't look too capable of handling anything else right now."

"I know my brother," said Thor. There was a change in Loki's expression, a subtle shift. Some of the fear melted away and he repeated one single word.

"Brother."

"Yes," said Thor, "It's me. Your brother."

"Thor?"

"Yes, Loki. I'm here."

"Oh..."

The relief closed Loki's eyes and he let out a sigh that released another tear from where it had been forming. Thor looked up at Bruce and saw that he was watching closely. Through the screen everyone else would be watching too.

"Loki?"

Loki's eyes opened slowly, a shudder passed through him. Thor wondered whether he was right to stake so much on Loki's remaining strength. The doors behind him opened again and another person entered. She had barely taken a step into the room when Thor commanded her to return.

"I'm not going anywhere," said Jane stubbornly, "You need help and no one else is coming."

She walked up to the table and, facing Bruce, said loudly, "What can I do?"

"Er..." Bruce looked briefly at Thor before answering. "You can pass me the instruments. If you're really sure about this, Thor..."

"I am."

"Right, well, let's get started then."

 

* * *

               

Loki could not get a good grip on understanding what was going on. Was he dreaming? Had he passed into a stage of hell where his torturers now wore faces he knew? Or was Thor really with him, telling him to hold on, assuring him that he would be safe soon? Loki did not believe that. He knew they had him now and they would never let him go. The parts of Thor rescuing him he remembered were like fragments of a dream that has shattered when the dreamer wakes. This could not be Thor's hands holding his head down or his voice washing over him. No, it was not him. The Chitauri had him now and they were eating him alive.

"Loki, this is going to hurt."

Of course it was going to hurt. Everything hurt. Hadn't he promised them everything? Hadn't he sold them his soul? What more did they want from him? Why wouldn't they just let him die?

"Loki, look at me. Who am I, Loki? Say my name."

Loki's head was hammering. His throat felt ripped to shreds. He did not want to look. He did not want to keep guessing and getting the answer wrong. They knew he did not know, they were laughing at him.

"Who am I, Loki?"

Thor's voice. Angry. He had no right to be angry, he was loved...he had a family...he had a home.

"It's a good sign if he can't focus, might mean the drugs I've given him are working somewhat."

Another voice. Familiar in a more distant way. Not the voice of a friend because who in the universe was a friend to Loki? No one.

"I think someone should hold his hand."

"I'll do it."

A hand slipping into his own, closing around it. When was the last time someone held his hand? His mother used to before she was not his mother at all. Loki wanted his mother now. He wanted her to come and take all the pain away.

"Everyone ready?"

Ready for what? The hand gave his a squeeze. It hurt and Loki groaned.

"Okay. Let's do this."

As it always did, even when he thought he was expecting it, the pain took Loki by surprise. He gasped, nausea rising in him like a burning wave.

"Loki, hold on. It'll be over soon."

Would it? Really? Were they going to kill him? By Valhalla, let them do it.

Another sharp pain. Voices. Thor.

"Okay, we're done. Can you get him to say something just so I know the status of his brain function?"

"Loki, open your eyes. You need to open your eyes now."

No. Why should he? Why did he need to see what was coming? Were they not satisfied with his tears? Could they not see that he was broken already? He was at the limit of fear, at the limit of pain.

"Please Loki, just to let me know you're all right."

All right? All right?! Loki heard a hiss bubbling up from inside him. There was only one person in all the universe who would be insensitive enough to ask if he was all right after all this.

"I...am... _not_...all...right."

There was a cheer, a strange sound. Almost happy.

Loki opened his eyes to see Thor smiling down at him but already his vision was beginning to dissolve. His head was pulsing with a viscous ache. He was going to let go.

No more of this.

Let go.

 


	12. Fury's Law

 

"There are going to be rules."

Nick Fury's voice beat down on all of them like steel rain. Every one of them was listening even Thor whose anger at the way Loki had been "treated" was undimmed.

"Number one, Loki will remain restrained at all times. No exceptions, no asking me to change my mind.

"Number two, there will be no unauthorised visitations and all visits will be observed and recorded. Again, there will no exception and no changing of my mind.

"Number three, if Loki so much as causes any of my people to get the hiccups, his life is forfeit. And believe me, we learnt a lot from last time, killing him will be far, far easier than saving him.

"Number four, if any of you so much as thinks about providing him with anything I have not deemed necessary or deciding that they know better than me I will bring the force of this organisation down upon your head. There is not one of you I value higher than the safety of S.H.I.E.L.D. Do I make myself clear?"

There was a murmur as the group agreed.

"Rest assured," said Fury, fixing them all with his fiercest glare, "I will be watching all of you."

Sweeping out of the room, he could not help but allow himself a small satisfied smile. Having been Director of S.H.I.E.L.D for longer than he would care to remember, Fury knew when his message had hit home and this one had been driven with force. He had been both angry and alarmed when reports had reached him that his orders had been violated not only by Bruce Banner (who, let's face it, could take care of himself) but also by Jane Foster. That was like letting a kitten into the crocodile enclosure and Fury would not tolerate such carelessness again. Those who had seen Thor and Bruce finishing what the surgeons had started had been struck by Loki's pitiful condition, one or two openly questioning Fury's original directive that they leave the room immediately should he wake but Fury was by no means convinced that Loki was as helpless as he appeared and was much disturbed by the general opinion that he had somehow been rendered harmless by his horrific experiences. The only person, besides him, who was outspoken in the other direction was also Fury's most convincing bit of evidence that surviving torture did not automatically render someone harmless. Tony Stark had made it abundantly clear that he was not prepared to support this suicide mission and he had removed himself and Pepper from the S.H.I.E.L.D base saying in unequivocal terms that no matter what happened he would not return.

"You're digging your own graves, boys," he had proclaimed, "And I'm not interested in dying alongside you."

Bruce, however, had stayed. How he was feeling was harder to discern. It was possible that he shared Stark's viewpoint wholeheartedly but was not cold hearted enough to leave his friends to their fate. If Loki did cause trouble, Bruce's alter ego would arguably be the most effective in ending it even if that did come with inherent risks of its own. Erik and Darcy, after consulting with Jane, had decided to leave too. They had jobs and although they wanted Jane to come with them it was futile to try and convince her to leave Thor after the length of time they had been apart so they too had left in the Stark jet. Fury was not sorry to see them go, civilians just got under foot and having just one left to keep an eye on was preferable to having several of them running about, upsetting the balance.

As Fury strode through the building he made mental notes of things that he needed to attend to because unfortunately the arrival of Loki did not mean the rest of the world stopped being a problem, he was just an extra complication in an already complicated universe. They would not even be in this substandard base if it had not been for him destroying the last one. There were colleagues of those that had died working here although Fury had taken great pains to reassign them if their directives brought them anywhere near where Loki was being held. He knew the power of grief and knew that even his threats were powerless against it.

His ear piece buzzed.

"Director Fury?"

"Yes?"

"He is awake."

"I am heading there now."

He had put off his inevitable confrontation with Loki until he was sure that his adversary would be able to take on board everything that was being said. By all accounts, Loki did not speak much but that was fine with Fury, he only needed him to listen. He would have preferred to prevent Loki from speaking at all but Thor had been very clear that although he would permit Loki to be restrained he would not permit him to be gagged. Personally Fury thought a silent Loki was less of a threat but he had not expended any precious energy trying to change Thor's mind. The Asgardian could be just as stubborn as his father when he put his mind to it and Fury had learned long ago to pick his battles wisely.

The sight of the armed guards outside Loki's room pleased Fury. They stood sharply to attention at his approach. It did no harm for the boss to show himself without warning. He needed to know that security was tight at all times, not just when they knew he was coming. Screens looked in on the room they were guarding. Loki lay, perfectly quiet, perfectly still. His eyes were closed.

"Is he awake?"

"Not sure, sir," replied the man stationed by the largest monitor, "He was a minute ago."  

"Well, he soon will be," said Fury darkly, "I'm going in."

He walked through with no weapon. Two of the guards moved to follow him but Fury sent them back with a flick of his hand. He who made the rules got to break them. The strip lighting and the emptiness made the room seem very bright. Fury was not displeased, he only hoped that Loki found it as uncomfortable as he did. He walked slowly over to where Loki lay, his footsteps loud and definite on the hard floor. The noise made Loki flinch slightly and his eyes opened revealing the only colour to his face. Bright, startling blue they had none of the confidence that Fury remembered. They passed over Fury's face before turning to the ceiling, his expression untouched. The effect was strangely unnerving. Fury certainly did not appreciate being ignored.

"You're in a lot of pain, Loki," he said, coming to stand right next to him, "But believe me, if you give me a reason I will make it a million times worse."

Loki looked at him again, not with fear or courage but with a kind of blank curiosity as if he genuinely wanted to know how Fury was going to deliver on this particular guarantee.

"I haven't forgotten what you did," Fury continued, "Eighty of my men and women died the day you arrived on Earth. Eighty lives I valued higher than yours. And still you continued your onslaught. You killed my friends, Loki. You killed a lot of my friends and if you had any I would have no compunction about returning the favour.

"Good men and women dead because of you. And another man, a better man than any of us could ever hope to be, lies in a room not far from here, a machine breathing for him while another pumps his heart. If there was any justice in the world we would have been able to save Phil Coulson and we would have failed to save you. I want you to think long and hard about that."

Fury reached out and pressed his fingers deliberately onto Loki's bandaged chest. Loki gave a sharp gasp of pain.

"Remember Phil Coulson," said Fury increasing the pressure, "Remember the good men and women who died because of you and then consider the efforts of those who saved your worthless life. Each of them human, each one of them better and braver than you. You were saved by humanity, Loki, and you owe us the greatest of debts. Remember that and know that we will collect."

Fury removed his hand and Loki breathed like someone trying not to cry. Satisfied that the message had been delivered Fury turned to leave. When he reached the door he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.

"By the way," he added, "How does it feel to be the ant?"

 

* * *

 

There was nothing to hold on to. No one certainty that he could build the truth around. Loki was afraid to close his eyes and afraid to keep them open. He did not understand what was going on or where he was. Every time he thought he had a grasp on what was happening to him it slipped away again leaving him lost and alone. He felt emptied of everything he had been, every strong part of him broken, every bit of power gone. He did not want to exist like this. Tears slipped down his face, one by one, further signs of his weakness. How far he had fallen?

_I used to be a Prince_ , he told himself.

_No, you didn't_ , another voice replied, _you were never anything but a monster. Rescued and tamed. Odin's plan for peace._

_I_ _could have been a good King. I could have kept the peace._

A laugh, rough and cruel.

_You could not even rule these mortals! You have failed at everything you have ever attempted._

_No...I killed him...I killed my father._

_The only one who might ever have loved you._

The truth was like a hammer to the chest and Loki struggled to breathe through it. His vision had blurred. Instinctively Loki tried to raise his hand but the restraints bit in. At the worst possible moment the door to the room slid open. Loki closed his eyes, the heat behind them too much to bear.

"Hello Loki."

Thor. Perfect, princely Thor. Damn him. Damn him and all of Asgard. Loki did not want to see Thor's look of surprise or worse pity so he kept his eyes firmly closed. His throat began to burn. Why couldn't Thor just leave him alone? The silence stretched on and Loki was just beginning to believe that Thor really had gone, too embarrassed or sickened to stay, when he felt a hand on his face. Strong fingers were wiping the tears from his face, clumsy fingers that were not used to being so gentle. Loki could not stand it.

"Stop it."

He opened his eyes. He wanted to glare at Thor, wanted to tell him without having to speak again that he did not want him anywhere near him.

"Do you want me to go?"

Thor was watching him. He had just spoken Loki's very thoughts. All Loki had to do was nod and he would be gone. Then he would be back to the emptiness, confusion and the voices that were tearing him apart.

"No."

Thor could have laughed at him at this point. He could have done what Nick Fury had done and shown beyond doubt that he was dominant. He could have done a million things. What he chose to do was pull up a chair, sit down beside the bed and take Loki's hand very gently in his. They did not speak for a long time. Loki went back to staring up at the ceiling. The tears had mercifully stopped but his throat still burned. Distantly he was aware that people were moving on the other side of the wall. If he concentrated he could see shadowy outlines, humans, a lot of them but concentrating was hard and it pained him. Finally, he decided to break the silence.

"Have you ever loved me?"

Thor started. He must have been lost to thoughts of his own.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I have loved you, I love you still."

Loki kept his gaze on the ceiling. His voice was hoarse but it held steady.

"Even after everything I have done?"

"Yes, Loki. Why else would I have saved you?"

Even the allusion to the Chitauri sent fresh waves of pain through Loki's body. Yes, Thor had rescued him. Loki remembered clearly now. He remembered seeing his brother through a white haze, fighting through it to keep hold of the fact that he was really there. He remembered a fight. He remembered holding a sword in his hand. There had been Thor and there had been the Chitauri warrior. And Loki remembered wondering which one of them he should kill.

"Do you know what I am?" he asked.

"You are my brother, you are Odin's son."

"I am Laufey's son. I am nothing like you."

"You grew up beside me. You are my brother."

_No, I am not._

_Hated, abandoned, left to die_ , whispered the voice.

"I wanted you to die."

"And now?" said Thor, "What do you want now, Loki?"

"Does it matter?" Loki asked the ceiling.

"Yes," said Thor, "Our choices matter. I made mistakes too, as well you know, but I learned from them. I am better for them."

Loki's attention, fixed on Thor, was suddenly pulled through the closed door so that he saw vividly who stood beyond for the first time. There were humans with weapons that all looked the same, their uniform padded and black, and there was another, a woman with long dark hair, who was watching the screen before her with an intensity that spoke of strong emotion. Loki knew who this woman was, knew her name and knew beyond doubt that she was the reason for Thor's gentle affection.

"What choice would you make now, Loki? If you could kill me, would you?"

Loki's answer made the woman step back from the screen as if he had spoken directly to her. Thor's own reaction was lost. Loki was not strong enough to focus on them both.

"If you could kill me, would you?"

"Yes."

               


	13. The Observations of Loki

 

It started as an experiment to see if he could do it but once started Loki found it was easier to exist outside of himself. If he split himself in two, Loki found the pain contained within his true self was masked. At first he could only send the second self beyond the door where he watched the guards watching him. Sometimes his strength failed and the second self melted away before he was ready and the sudden burst of awareness through his entire body was like being set on fire. Slowly though he began to regain control. His second self wandered further, through corridors, through closed doors. He had no purpose, no great plan, no thoughts of escape. He simply sought to distract himself and find a way to keep living.  

 

* * *

 

The whole corridor around him was deserted but there were more where patients lay in beds of their own. Most of them, Loki all but ignored. He was not the least bit interested in the workings of human medicine. Despite the efforts that had saved him he still regarded it as all but useless. The condition of most of these humans was dire. As Loki walked through their midst he watched souls detach from bodies while doctors fought on oblivious. Loki left them to it.

There was one room that held significant interest for him. Fury had already told him that the agent he had believed he had killed was in fact alive, in a technical sense anyway. Phil Coulson, a particularly unimpressive specimen of humanity, had nevertheless caused Loki considerable discomfort with that weapon of his even after he had been stabbed. Now it appeared the humans were keeping him alive for some reason. It had taken Loki some time to even recognise him. He had a tube down his throat - Loki rubbed his own throat in recollection - and there were machines surrounding him, monitors displaying all kinds of outputs. His skin was colour of brackish water. There was nothing healthy about him, nothing alive.

A sort of morbid fascination drew Loki back to Coulson's room time and again. Once he saw Nick Fury standing just outside the door, looking in. After he had been watching Coulson for several long minutes he muttered something that Loki did not catch and marched swiftly away. He seemed angry but Loki knew that his feelings were not directed at the man in the bed. He wondered if he would be receiving his own visit from Nick Fury later on. Another time fresh flowers had appeared by the bed and there was evidence that someone had spent considerable time with the lifeless Coulson. Loki was intrigued by this. He did not have much else to interest him so the mystery of the flower bringers identity caused him to appear at Coulson's bedside more often until, at last, she appeared. A worn looking woman with hair scraped back to reveal a sad face walked in one day when Loki was about to leave. He watched her place the new flowers she had brought in a vase before she rearranged the cards that were lined neatly on the little table beside the bed. She seemed to have a routine. Only after these little traditions were complete did she sit down and reach for Coulson's hand. Loki thought she looked like she wanted to say something but instead she began to cry. She brought Coulson's hand up to her face and pressed it against her cheek as silent sobs wracked her too thin frame. Loki remained unmoved and, mystery solved, he spent considerably less time with his own victim.

 

* * *

 

As Loki walked, aimless, restless, he was naturally attracted to the sound of his own name spoken by others. He heard it whispered, shouted, cursed and mocked. He heard death threats against him, bitter recriminations and harsh punishments. He would move closer, listening, but most of the time there was nothing to add. The humans were venting their aggression and their displeasure at having him present in a place they considered safe. They did not know that his powers were reduced to watching action unfold around him, he could no more command a place in it than they could hope to frighten him with their poorly thought out plans of vengeance. Nevertheless their words stuck deep inside him, reminders that this was not a world he could remain in. Earth would not tolerate his recovery.

Other conversations gave him more information. Nick Fury, for example, was the decision maker. Ultimately it was him who would decide Loki's fate and consequently when he mentioned his name Loki's attention was bound to him. The most productive conversation came on an occasion when Thor had requested to see the Director. Also present was Bruce Banner who had not entered Loki's room since he had removed the spikes from his skull but had been a fairly regular presence outside it.

"I requested a private audience," was the first thing Thor said upon entering the room Fury had chosen for the meeting, "No disrespect, Bruce."

"I asked Bruce to be here," said Fury, "I thought you might be more inclined to listen to him as it seems you question my authority."

"I do not..."

"Then how to you explain these persistent requests that we extend courtesies to Loki that have routinely been denied?"

"These actions hamper his recovery," said Thor, "If Loki were permitted to..."

"I think I've been pretty clear on what permissions Loki has been granted," said Fury and there was a dangerous edge to his voice.

Bruce gave a polite little cough.            

"Perhaps Loki's recovery has progressed enough on Earth," he said carefully, "If he is on the brink of regaining any semblance of power, it might be wise to return him to a Realm which could exert a greater hold over him."

"You speak of Asgard?"

Bruce nodded.

"Loki would not be welcomed back," said Thor, "And in any case, how do you propose I transport him there? There is no Bifrost to take us."

Bruce and Fury exchanged looks of alarm that mirrored the sinking feeling Loki felt inside him. He had presumed, along with the others it seemed, that Thor had thought his plan through rather than marooning them on Earth.

"Are you telling me that you have no way to return to Asgard?" Fury asked, very slowly.

"It seems not," said Thor, "I believed I had left sufficient instructions for the opening of a portal to Earth..."

Loki scowled slightly at Thor's boastful 'I'.

"...but my attempts to call Heimdall have been unsuccessful. And it seems your own progress has been slowed considerably by the loss of the tesseract."

Fury rubbed one hand across his lips. His whole face was quivering with poorly suppressed rage.

"And what, pray tell, was your plan should Loki become too powerful for you to control?"

"Do you believe that likely?" came the flippant reply.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

Spit flew from Fury's mouth.

"Calm yourself," said Thor, "I am sworn to protect Earth as you are. Loki cannot become more powerful than myself but if he did, the Avengers would..."

"Thor, that is not a solution." Bruce's soft voice drove the point home more effectively than Fury's shout. "People died last time. Loki may be your brother but he cannot be allowed to pose a risk to anyone else's family. He has already been heard to threaten you so you cannot base your theories on the fact that he has changed. It's too late for that."

"So what do you propose?" Thor shot back.

There was a tense silence. Loki was no longer interested in Bruce or Fury, he was watching Thor. The answer was on everyone's lips, the answer that would end everyone's worry and appease all of those searching for vengeance.

"I will not kill my brother," said Thor finally, "I will find another way."

 

* * *

 

 

Thor and Jane slept on site. They had been given their own rooms next to each other. Loki had discovered them by accident. He had come across Jane as she was coming down some stairs and had followed her thinking she might lead him to his brother but instead she let herself into a small room with a bed, a little desk and a cubicle sized bathroom. She had scattered a few possessions round the room but there was a distinctly lonely feeling about the place which was enhanced when Jane sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed. The knock on the door startled them both. Loki had been so fixated on Jane that he had failed to notice anyone else approaching. Jane's initial shock wore off extremely quickly and she bounded to the door.

"May I come in?"

Thor had to duck to pass through the doorway. Loki held perfectly still. The mortals had not detected him in all the time he had been wandering their corridors freely but his brother was an Asgardian and had the potential to be more observant leading Loki to be extra cautious when he was in the vicinity. Thor, however, was oblivious to all but his own feelings. He sat heavily on the bed and ran his hand through his hair.

"I've been with Fury," he said, "He is still refusing to permit Loki to be freed even in my presence."

Jane walked over to the bed and sat beside him. Thor missed the conflict written all over her face but Loki saw it.

"Maybe he's right," she said, "Loki managed to escape before."

"But this time he is weak, even if he did attempt to overpower me he would fail dismally."

Despite the truth of this statement, or perhaps because of it, Loki bristled. He was half tempted to reveal himself standing in their midst and challenge Thor on the perceptions of his supposed weakness.

"How is Loki supposed to recover when he is not permitted to even stand?" Thor continued, "It is barbaric."

"I..."

Jane's discomfort was so obvious now that even Thor could not fail to notice it.

"What is it?" he asked, "Do you agree with this confinement?"

"I'm just not sure what the aim is," said Jane, "Loki has already told you that he wants to kill you. Why should you risk your own life again when he is so dead set against you?"

"He did not mean it," said Thor dismissively, "He is in pain and he has been hurt by my actions as I have been hurt by his."

"You forgive him?" Jane asked.

"I understand him."

"Well, I don't." Jane stood up and walked towards where Loki stood. She came so close to him that he could feel the tension radiating off her. Her ineffectually small fists were clenched tight. Thor stood too. When he reached her he placed one hand on the small of her back and she turned towards him. There was light between them, a glow of possibility and potential, which Thor extinguished with the words, "This is an Asgardian matter. I do not expect you to understand."

Jane froze and Loki, close enough to insert himself between them, gave a slight smile. Same old arrogant Thor.

"I would not understand?" Jane repeated, her voice cold as a frost giant's knife, "Is that because I am a woman? Or is it because I am human?"

"I did not mean..." Thor stammered, wrong footed, "I just..."

Jane advanced towards him and Thor retreated, the tiny human backing the god Thor into a corner.

"I'll tell you what I understand," she said, pointing a finger directly at Thor's enormous chest, "I understand that you almost died protecting me from the Destroyer which was sent by Loki. I understand that you chose to destroy the bridge that connected our worlds to save Jotenheim from Loki. I understand that you returned the Earth to prevent it being taken over _by Loki_. I understand that you had to return to Asgard without seeing me because of Loki. And I understood why you did all those things. I understood that I was in love with a good, brave, strong man. What I do _not_ understand is why, now that we are finally together, you let Loki come between us again.  He does not belong here, Thor, and the longer he stays, the more powerful he becomes. Are you waiting for another reason to leave here? Because if you are, if you regret the promise you made to me then understand this, I release you from it."

She dropped her pointing finger and began to grab at those of her possessions that lay within reach. She threw them into a bag that lay open beside the bed. Something smashed but she ignored it, continuing to pile item upon item until there was nothing left in the room to pack. Loki watched as Thor attempted to stop her but everything he said merely added fuel to Jane's rage.

"I don't want to hear it!" she screamed, "I should never have waited for you!"

The slamming of the door was so full of loud finality that Loki was surprised someone so small could deliver such a powerful statement. He watched his brother stare open mouthed at the closed door. Loki presumed that he would run after her, his shouts mingling with hers as they continued to fight it out but instead he sank back down on the bed, his head in his hands, defeated. Loki's second self was pulled back and as Loki felt his own pain's triumphant return he felt alongside it the pain of his brother's broken heart.

 

 


	14. Jane's Unexpected Visitor

 

Jane had returned to New Mexico. She had tried gamely to throw herself back into her work but everything she worked on had Thor written all over it. Her notebooks spoke of him, the stars shone with his light, every bit of her homemade machinery thrummed with the depth of his voice. She returned to her trailer, locked the door, turned off her cell phone and crawled into bed where she remained. Nothing tempted her to leave. She felt miserable from the inside out, miserable right to the depths of her soul.

She ignored Darcy hammering on door and windows, shouting up at her to let her in. Jane remained nestled in her duvet. There was a tea stain down the front of her pyjama top and crumbs in her bed. Jane did not care. Who would see her? She was glad she had never given anyone a spare key. Smart. Perhaps the only smart thing she had ever done. She let her eyes close. The day before she had slept for almost eighteen hours. She was going to beat that today. She would take pride in it.

When a voice spoke, she thought at first that it was a dream come vividly to life.

"And you wonder why I have nothing but disdain for your kind..."

Jane was sure she recognised the speaker and realised that her thinking was bringing her away from sleep. She held the duvet over her face, her chest suddenly tight. If the speaker had not been part of her dream then he must be...

"It's okay, I can wait."

Jane slowly withdrew her face from the tangle of blankets. Standing by her bed and viewing the disarray spread over its surface, was Loki. She blinked at him, refusing to believe the evidence of her eyes. Loki looked different, his hair was longer and smoothed down and he was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit but his hands still bore deep, blue-black bruises and there were three nasty puncture marks across his forehead that stood out lividly against his pale skin. But how could he be in her trailer? No, no, no, her mind was playing tricks. When he looked up to find that she was watching him he gave her a small smile which was more threatening than kind. His eyes were sharp as cut glass.

Beneath the covers she gave herself a hard pinch desperately hoping that she would wake. When that did not work she asked, "Are you real?"

Her voice came out as a squeak.

Loki's smile widened so that she caught a glimpse of his straight, white teeth. Instead of answering he picked up the pot of her favourite face cream which she had left open on top of her chest of drawers. Loki raised it to his nose and sniffed delicately.

"Humans," he said, shaking his head. He placed the pot back down and cast his eyes around the appalling mess that spread throughout the trailer. Clothes covered the floor. A glass of water had been knocked off her bedside table so that a large patch of carpet was damp with its contents. There were plates and the remnants of poorly prepared meals scattered everywhere, a smell of neglect hanging over the whole ensemble.

"I see you have been making good use of your time," he said dryly.

"You're not here," said Jane, flinging aside the covers so that the top half of her was free of them. Her scalp itched. She had not washed her hair in a few days. She ran a hand through it so that it was pushed from her face. When she looked up, Loki would be gone. Her heart was thumping hard as she forced herself to look back to where the chest of drawers stood. Loki was still there and he was beginning to look irritated. Jane wondered if she should reach for the lamp. It was the only thing within reach that might serve as a weapon. But what good would such a thing do against a demi-god from Asgard? She would just have to keep him talking and hope that Thor was on his way.

"How did you escape?" she asked, heart in her throat.

"I didn't," said Loki simply, "I am there and I am here."

Jane felt ice slip down into her stomach. She remembered Thor explaining the nature of Loki's powers. What word had he used? Shape-shifter. So no one knew that Loki was here in her bedroom because he was also where he should be, held captive at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. He was free to do whatever he wanted to her and no one would know.

"There is no need to look so alarmed," said Loki with a bored sigh, "I have not come here to harm you."

"Then why did you come?" Jane demanded. It was hard to present a fearsome defence when she was wearing teddy bear pyjamas but she tried her best, pulling her top down to cover her stomach.

"I grow tired of witnessing Thor's misery," said Loki, "It makes him such dull company."

Jane felt a flutter of hope in her chest.

"Thor is miserable?"

Loki looked up from examining a half empty bottle of whisky that she had left half buried in unwashed socks.

"No doubt it was your intention," he said airily.

Jane hugged her chest. Her heart was bursting. She wanted nothing more than to run back to where Thor was waiting. She wanted to feel his arms around her and lose herself in the strong warmth of his kiss. But even if she did, nothing would have changed. Loki would still stand between them, his brother, his enemy.

Loki was watching her. He was still holding the bottle.  

"You believe his allegiance to me is stronger than his for you," Loki said matter of factly, "You are wrong. He never wished to leave you. My actions led him to destroy the Bifrost and ever since he has searched for a way to return to you. I have been useful to him, that is all, and being useful made him feel guilty enough to help me."

Jane swallowed. She was fighting hard to hold back tears.

"How did you find me?" she asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

Another smile, brief as a heartbeat. Loki unscrewed the lid of the whisky and drank. A thought occurred to Jane, a sudden burst of illumination.

"You love him too."

Loki sealed the bottle again and threw it onto the bed without acknowledging Jane's words.

"You are a human," he said disdainfully, "You are weak and pathetic and mortal yet Thor seems to have grown attached to you. Do you not think this a miraculous thing? Foolish to the point of idiocy but, from your point of view, miraculous. Asgardian women throw themselves at his feet desperate for his attention but you, who have his heart, scorn him. Overcome the limits of your stunted race and realise what is being offered to you."

Jane did not know what to say. She felt insulted and reassured at the same time. Loki, as if to separate himself from the words he had spoken, was casting his eyes around her caravan again.

"Does Thor know you're here?" she asked finally.

"Of course not," said Loki, his blue eyes returning to fix themselves on her, "Do you think he would willingly allow me to be alone in your company?"

He smiled again and before Jane could say or do anything to stop him he had disappeared leaving her staring at the emptiness he had left behind, her heart hammering at twice its normal speed.

 

* * *

 

Loki lay, head spinning, the taste of whisky in his mouth. The return of his second self from such a distance had been - in a word - forceful and he felt shaken by the effort. Walking the corridors no longer posed a threat to his energy, he could appear and disappear within the confines of the base at will, but distance was still much too hard for him to sustain. He had been with Jane for such a short time and still he felt wrung out. The edges of black despair pulled at him from all sides. What was he without his powers? A nasty inner voice supplied the answer:

_Pathetic. Mortal. No better than the humans that surround you. If they were to use their weapons against you, could you cope? Or would you fall?_

Loki could not answer. The voice surrounded him, taunting him, taking advantage of his weariness to overwhelm him.

_Do you think Thor will thank you for bringing her back? He will kill you if he finds you have grown even this strong. They plan your death already. One word from the mortal woman and you are dead. You are in her power._

Loki would not listen. He would close his mind.

  _Too late for that, Loki. Far too late. You could have torn the mortal's heart out. You could have made Thor hurt the way you have been hurt. You have grown weaker than I ever imagined._

Loki felt pain creeping up through his chest. No. He would not allow it. He was stronger than this. The breaking point came when he heard them chanting, their voices snaking through his veins like poison.

_"We will find you again, God of Mischief, God of Lies._

_"We will take your tongue out first and then pluck out your eyes."_

It was quiet, only the faintest of whispers but they were still there, still hunting him. Loki tried to shut them out but their voices wrapped themselves like snakes around him, poison dripping from their open mouths.

 

* * *

 

Bruce was watching the monitors closely. Measuring Loki's vital signs was almost useless. They did not read like a normal humans results and they had nothing to compare them to in order to draw meaningful conclusions. Having drawn evidence from observations and his own estimated calculations, however, Bruce believed that he was beginning to understand some of what the numbers were telling him. He did not think it was a good sign that the readings were constantly changing. Sometimes Loki's heart rate was staggeringly high and at other times it reached a plateau that would have killed a human. Then there was the fact that Loki did not seem to be noticeably distressed by his confinement. Most patients, whatever the reason for their restraints, grew frustrated and upset as they grew stronger. Most patients wanted to be free. Loki, however, lay unmoving and unconcerned day after day. What inner reserves did Loki possess that would enable him to submit so peacefully to a state of utter dependency? Bruce did not like it.

"Dr Banner?"

Bruce turned to see Agent Hill holding out a cell phone to him. He took it, his eyebrows raised in slight surprise.

"Stark," she mouthed and Bruce smiled.

"Hello Tony."

"No small talk," came the response from the other end of the line, "Does the creature live?"

"Yes, he does," said Bruce as he shifted his gaze to the monitor which showed him Loki lying still, eyes open and staring at the ceiling.

"Unfortunate for all concerned," said Tony sharply, "I have been working on the Stark Transporter."

"The _what_?"

Bruce could not suppress a laugh. Had Tony really named their invention after himself? The ego!

"It needed a name," said Tony unapologetically, "And it needs work. Are you planning on returning to assist me at any point in the near future?"

"I'm not sure I should leave while Loki is still..."

"Seriously?" Tony's voice cut across him. "You're still babysitting? Am I the only one who wants to get Loki as far away from this planet as possible?"

"No, you are not," said Bruce calmly.

"Then come back and help me get this done."

A slight smile was tugging at Bruce's lips.

"Are you saying you need me?"

There was a significant pause.

"Because if you don't need me," Bruce continued, "I'll stay here and..."

"All right," said Tony tightly, "I need your help. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," said Bruce with a smirk, "I'll see what Fury can do about getting me on the next plane out."

When he ended the call and looked back at the monitor in front of him it gave him a little start to see Loki looking directly at the camera, right at him.

 


	15. Phil Coulson's Dream

 

Thor had never felt so hollow. He should have been used to absence. He had lived in Asgard with only Heimdall's reports for long enough that the pain of Jane's departure should have been something he could live with but this was different. Jane was not separated from him by insurmountable distance or obstacles, she had chosen to leave him and she had stayed away. Try as he might to focus on the more pressing problem of Loki, Thor found his thoughts would not turn away from the sight of her throwing her possessions into her bag and slamming the door behind her as she left. How many times had he heard her final words repeated back to him?

_"I should never have waited for you!"_

"I fail to see why you should mourn her so," said Loki interrupting a silence Thor only then realised had stretched on far too long, "Surely there are other human women you could bewitch with your mere presence."

"One human does not replace another," said Thor patiently, "They are as unique as Asgardians."

"Hmm..." was Loki's comment on the matter. Despite all the humans had done for him he still could not bring himself to appreciate their exceptional nature. Thor was beginning to wonder whether there was anything that could make Loki see what he saw or whether blind prejudice had built barriers within him that were too great to break.

"You should speak more kindly of them," cautioned Thor, aware that they were being watched and listened to at all times.

"Why?" said Loki, unconcerned, "You are deluded if you think their opinion of me will change any more than mine will change regarding them."

Thor sighed.

"I hope that one day you will learn how to make things easy for yourself, Loki," he said, "Because I am running out of ways to fight for you."

Loki smiled.

"You are free to stop fighting at any time."

"And you are not," said Thor who had grown concerned over the last few days. Loki seemed so weak, any progress he had made over the last few weeks seemed to be eroding away. Thor could not understand it. Bruce Banner, the one person Thor had relied on to help him understand what was going on with Loki, had left to return to Stark Tower stating that Stark needed him to continue his work on the device that had enabled Jane to send a message to Asgard. Thor knew what that meant. They were stepping up their efforts to have Loki removed from Earth.

"Loki, are you trying?"

Loki, who had drifted into something close to sleep, reluctantly opened his eyes.

"What are you asking me?"

He sounded drained of all energy. Thor almost retracted his question but it was the tiredness itself that prompted him on. Loki had not been this tired a week ago, Thor was sure of it. Furthermore, this was not the first time Thor had wondered whether Loki had tired of life. When he had let go of the spear and fallen into the abyss, the whole of Asgard had assumed he had died, Thor included. Surely Loki too must have seen that as the likely outcome. He had let go and embraced his own death.

Loki's eyes narrowed, reading him, taking him in and Thor remembered that of old, Loki's ability to know the direction of his thoughts without him having to speak a word.  

"You are going to have to wait for your answers, Thor. There is someone waiting for you."

Thor opened his mouth to argue, to force the questions onto Loki, but Loki's attention had shifted to the door that separated him from the rest of the world.

"Trust me, Thor," he said softly, "Go."

 

* * *

               

Jane had expected it to be difficult to return. She had expected S.H.I.E.L.D to refuse her entry to the base and for her to have to kick up an almighty fuss but instead she was ushered in as if she had been expected. Thor, she had been told, was with Loki and she had been led down to the secure area where Agent Hill was waiting for her.               

"Can I go in and see him?" Jane asked the moment she could.

"No."

Jane expected Agent Hill to enjoy her moment. Having been thoroughly embarrassed in front of her once, Agent Hill had taken great pains to avoid being left alone with Jane but she seemed in no great hurry to get her revenge.

"Can you tell him I'm here?"

"It's best if you just wait out here for him," said Agent Hill, "I can get you a chair."

By 'get you a chair' she meant turf one of her inferiors out of theirs but Jane accepted gratefully. The travelling had taken it out of her. Her tired eyes sought the monitors where Thor was sitting close to his brother and speaking with a serious expression. Loki seemed detached and uninterested.

"What are they talking about?" Jane asked.

Agent Hill had come to stand beside her.

"They were talking about you."

Jane's heart gave a little skip. Agent Hill leaned over her and handed her a pair of headphones. Jane put them on in time to hear Loki say, "You are going to have to wait for your answers, Thor. There is someone waiting for you."

Jane looked up and met Agent Hill's startled eyes. She immediately stepped away and began to confer with her colleagues leaving Jane staring at the monitor as Thor stood. When the door opened to reveal him standing there, her heart dropped to the floor. She tore the headphones from her ears and threw them down, standing to face him with a nervous as a schoolgirl smile. Everyone was watching them but Jane did not care. All that mattered were Thor's next words.

"You came back."

"I did."

Jane could not help the grin that spread across her face as Thor crossed the space between them in three giant strides. His arms were suddenly around her and she was dipping towards the floor as he kissed her. When her eyes opened she found herself looking deep into Thor's beautiful face. All the things she had been planning on saying fell away. There was only one thing she wanted to do and the thought made her blush so deeply she thought she might never stop. Thor looked up and addressed the agents that were still shamelessly staring at them.

"As you were," he commanded and in one effortless movement he swept Jane into his arms.

 

* * *

 

Loki stood at Coulson's bedside listening to the sounds of artificial life all around him. In all the time he had been watching Loki had failed to detect a single sign that Coulson's soul was still contained within its weak mortal shell. Previously this had been simply a point of interest but it was more than that now. Loki had made a decision and it was one that relied upon the fact that there was still something of Phil Coulson left to save. He was dimly aware of the scene that was playing out just beyond where his true self lay. Thor and Jane reunited. In no small part down to him. This thought gave him no pleasure aside from the fact that it created a convenient distraction. He would have to devote a lot of energy into what he was about to attempt and he would be able to do that a lot more easily without having to concentrate on Thor's inane questions.

Loki flexed his long pale fingers. The bruises on the backs of his hands had started to fade although there were still times when he was convinced there were still things moving beneath his skin. He gave an involuntary shudder. He needed to leave his pain behind and concentrate. He took several slow breaths. He could feel the energy in the room and knew that it was all his. With one hand he reached out and pressed a single finger onto the waxy skin of Coulson's forehead. At first there was nothing, just the white noise of a body in utter repose. Not a single thought passed through the human's mind, not a single burst of memory or emotion. Loki pressed his other fingers down onto Coulson's skin and slipped deeper. Nothing. Waves of blank space.

"I expected more from you."

Loki's voice sent a charge through Coulson's subconscious.

"You took me on alone. You tried to kill me. Did you think I would forget?"

There it was. A reaction. A spark. Somewhere trapped beneath layers of unconsciousness Phil Coulson lived.

 

* * *

 

 

He was sitting on a chair in a white walled, empty room with no memory of how he had got there or where he had been before. He felt old and weak, sicker than he had ever felt in his life. He remembered suffering through a bad bout of flu as a child and how his mother had lifted his head to help him drink. He felt the same way now, like his neck was too weak to support the weight of his head. There was something strange about his vision too. Everything seemed over bright. Had he been captured? Was he about to be tortured? Or perhaps he had been tortured and the pain had wiped his memory clean? He tried to lift his hands from the arm of the chair but they stayed where they were, leaden and useless. Think, Phil, think. You need to find a way to get yourself out of this. Remember your training.

He sensed someone else entering the room behind him. He tried once more to move but his limbs refused to obey his commands. Remain calm, he told himself, there will be an escape.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Needles on the back of his neck. Coulson did not need Loki to walk in front of him to recognise the one who had tried to kill him.

"Yes," said Loki, "And you, in turn, tried to kill me. I'd say I fared better in the long run though."

Coulson was ready to agree with that although he could not help noticing that Loki hardly looked healthy. There were a number of lacerations on his forehead and his face was bloodless with only his eyes displaying any hint of colour. A terrible possibility hit Coulson hard.

"Are we dead?"

His words were thick and slurred. His mouth felt dry and dusty.

"No," said Loki as he looked around the room, "But you are a lot closer than me."

Coulson felt that must be true.

"Have I been drugged?"

Loki lowered his gaze slowly.

"Do I look like one of your primative doctors?"

That was a fair point. Loki was not dressed in full battle regalia but the black belts and buckles were unmistakeably Asgardian. He looked like an extra from a bondage themed pop video.

Coulson closed his eyes. He thought he could detect some feeling creeping back into his fingers.

"Where are the others?" Coulson asked thinking of the Avengers, Nick Fury, Agent Hill and the rest of his colleagues. Loki did not answer. He was examining the room. He reached out and touched the wall.

"Blank," he said cryptically.

"What?"

"Your mind is blank," said Loki somewhat aggressively, "You need to wake up."

Coulson did not understand what Loki was talking about. He felt awake. Eager to sleep perhaps but definitely awake. His eyes were growing more used to the intensity of the light. His fingers were moving very slightly.  

"You need to progress faster than this," said Loki and, to Coulson's alarm, he marched towards him. It was powerful instinct that forced his arm up, a cursory, primitive defence against whatever was coming.

"Better," said Loki, "Now stand up."

Coulson lowered his arm to find Loki extending a hand towards him. He meant to help him to his feet. No, that could not be right. The memory of the bladed tip of a spear cutting its way through his flesh reared itself suddenly. This was the enemy, not someone who was going to help him.

"Get up," Loki said and this time his impatience aligned neatly with what Coulson expected. Not knowing why he was obeying he gripped the arms of his chair tightly and forced himself to his feet. The moment he stood, the floor fell away from him and he found himself falling through a bright blue sky. There was nothing to grab onto, nothing to break his fall but instead of hitting the ground he slowed and landed neatly inside a room he recognised. It was his own bedroom, tidier than normal but gloriously familiar. He turned, taking it all in. His Captain AmErika shield mounted on the wall. His bed with the covers he had bought especially after Jessica had mentioned that her favourite colour was blue. The picture of his family that hung over the safe where he kept his guns. How long had it been since he was last here? It felt like an eternity.

"You humans have no sense of style."

Coulson jumped. He had forgotten about Loki.

"How did we get here?" Coulson asked but Loki had turned his head towards the bedroom door.

"Who is this?" he asked evidently hearing something Coulson could not. Before he could reach the door it opened and Jessica entered. A barrage of feelings hit Coulson the moment he saw her. Joy at seeing her beautiful face. Terror as he realised that Loki was closer to her than he was. Confusion as he took in the expression she wore and the dejected way she looked about the room. She did not seem to see either of them.

"Jessica?"

She did not look up or react in any way. They were ghosts to her. She walked straight passed Loki, too close for Coulson's comfort, and moved towards his bedside table. He watched her as she picked up the framed photograph of the two of them. She looked at it for a while and then gave a hiccupping sob.

"Jessica, don't cry! I'm here!"

Coulson made to reach her but Loki stepped in front of him, a sinister smile playing on his white face.

"I'll handle this," he said and without a pause he took hold of Jessica's arm, pulled her towards him and kissed her hard on the lips. The explosion of emotion that burst inside Phil Coulson's chest turned the world red.

 

* * *

 

Loki knew at once that the effort of bringing Coulson back had taken too much out of him. As Coulson's eyes flickered and he began to fight the equipment that had kept him alive Loki felt his selves collide with a force that made him cry out. It took him a moment to realise that he had not returned to the room where he was supposed to be imprisoned but was now fully present in Coulson's room. He staggered, reeling from the re-emergence of the pain, as alarms screamed his escape to the whole of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

               

 


	16. No Return

 

Thor was shirtless. Breathtakingly, amazingly shirtless. Jane could not keep her eyes off him and as he lifted her T-shirt over her head she thought she might have passed into the realm of heaven. Thor was leaning in to kiss her, the heat from his body melting her through. His lips had just brushed hers when the blissful peace was shattered by a furious screaming alarm. Jane jumped and would have fallen off the bed if Thor had not caught her. The muscles of his arms were tense as they folded around her.

"What is it?" she asked, "What's happened?"

Thor could not possibly have known any more than she did yet his answer was absolutely certain.

"Loki," he said and he grabbed his discarded clothes and pulled them on. Jane moved to do the same.

"Stay here," Thor commanded.

"No," said Jane putting her T-shirt on in such a hurry that she did not realise it was on backwards.

"Jane, Loki is dangerous. I don't want you anywhere near him."

"If you're going, I'm coming too."

"Jane..."

"No! I'm not leaving you again."

"Then you stay behind me," said Thor, "Please Jane."

She nodded. She was ready to agree to anything if it meant she could accompany him. The alarm was still howling. The emergency was unfolding and Jane could not sit alone and wait to be told what had happened. She needed to see, she needed to be there, she needed to be with Thor.

They ran down the corridors towards where Loki was held. They knew at once that they were in the wrong place. The agents who had crowded around the monitors were gone. Loki's room was empty. Thor paused at the monitor that showed room where Loki had been held. It was a featureless, barren room, somehow this fact was all the more obvious without Loki in it.

"Come on," said Jane raising her voice to a shout to be heard over the deafening alarms. She turned from the monitors, meaning to head out but Thor pulled her back so that she was behind him once more. As soon as they re-entered the corridor the direction of the action became evident as agents appeared, guns out and running. Thor and Jane followed and for the first time Jane felt the fear bite down. Suddenly they were in a corridor that was swarming with agents, people were shouting and the whole scene was chaos. Jane felt tiny and vulnerable and completely overwhelmed but Thor pushed his way through creating a pathway through the mess of bodies. They were outside another room in the same medical wing. Jane peered around Thor and caught a glimpse of Loki standing in the corner, his hands raised in surrender. He was breathing hard and leaning against the wall as if he might not be able to support himself otherwise.

"Loki!" said Thor, stepping forwards, "What have you done?"

Loki raised languid eyes to him but before he could speak someone else muscled their way into the room.

"He does not speak," ordered Fury, "No one speaks unless I ask them to."

Silence fell immediately only it was not true silence. Someone was choking, gasping, struggling for air. There was another gasp and Jane recognised Agent Hill.

"Phil!"

The attention of the room shifted from Loki to the man lying in the bed. A man who had opened his eyes and was staring out at the room in shock. Suddenly agents were running from the room to summon doctors and Agent Hill was on her knees tears rolling down her face, all composure forgotten.

"That...," said Loki in a carrying whisper, "...is what I have done."

Jane turned to look at him. He had not moved, there were still guns trained on him, but Jane's feelings towards him had suddenly changed. If Loki had risked his own security to save an agent then surely this was a brave and selfless act. Apparently she was the only one to think along these lines. Fury seemed determined to live up to his name.

"I warned you, Loki." He took one of the guns from the agent closest to him. "I warned you."

"Fury," said Thor, voice rising.

"I warned you too, Thor. We have done all we can do for you and your brother. It's time to end this."

Jane felt herself moving before she was consciously aware of what she was doing. She stepped out from behind Thor, moving beyond his protection, and positioning herself between him, Director Fury, the agents and Loki. The energy in the room changed completely.

"Jane!"

Thor, who had been squaring up to Fury, became aware of what she had done first and the horror struck look on his face was mirrored throughout the room. Agents who had been gripping their guns ready to fire were suddenly uncertain, their eyes flicking to their leader.

"Jane, step away now," ordered Fury but Jane remained where she was. Fear was rocketing through her. She could sense Loki behind her and knew that she might be making the biggest mistake of her life but at the same time she found herself unable to change her mind.

"You can't kill him," she said, "He's done something good here. He's brought a comatose man back to life!"

"Is that what he intended to do?" Fury asked in a dangerously low voice, "You are out of your depth here, Dr Foster. Step away."

"We need to ask him these questions, we can't just..."

"Jane, you promised."

Thor extended his hand towards her and there was a pleading look in his eyes that Jane found hard to ignore. Perhaps she would have been sensible and reached for him had she not felt Loki shift behind her. She saw Thor's expression change, saw the guns all around her rise, and felt Loki move towards her before she felt his hand close around her wrist. Several voices spoke at once.

"Loki, don't!"

Jane turned, wrist imprisoned, and found herself pulled close to Loki, close enough to be overwhelmed by his physicality. She felt paralysed, convinced she had made a terrible mistake. As a smile spread across Loki's hollow, exhausted face she felt a lightness fill her body. Everybody else disappeared. The room around them was gone. There was only Loki and then, suddenly, with a gasp of pain he was gone too and she was falling.

She landed hard on her shoulder, dust flying up around her. It took several seconds for the shock of the impact to wear off enough for her to move. She was not sure how far she had fallen but she was convinced that at least half of her bones were broken. When the shock wore off and she found herself able to move with relative ease the relief flooded her with euphoria. She was alive! She was in one piece! She sat up, coughing in the clouds of dust that was settling all over her. She had spent so many hours out in this stretch of desert that it was impossible not to recognise the terrain. It seemed an odd place for Loki to choose to transport them as New Mexico was sure to be amongst the first places that S.H.I.E.L.D would look for them. Turning her head she saw Loki lying a short distance away. What should she do? Making a run for it seemed the most obvious and sensible option, and would certainly be the one Thor would have chosen for her. Ignoring his voice in her ear Jane crawled over to where Loki lay and was leaning over him as his eyes opened.

 

* * *

 

As Loki opened his eyes he tried to remember the last time he had woken without pain. Had he still been living in Asgard believing himself a Prince? Probably. He was so deeply immersed in his thoughts and trying to push the pain back to a manageable level that it took him a moment to realise that someone was leaning over him, an anxious female face peering into his.

"Are you okay?" she was asking him, "Should I get help?"

Loki took another few seconds to remember who she was and why they were here alone together in some barren wasteland. Certainly it had not been his intention to land them here but here they were, his strength apparently giving out at a rather crucial moment. Still, the human seemed to have fared better than he. What Loki did not understand is why she was still hovering over him. Should she not have fled when she saw that he was incapacitated? Was that not what most rational creatures would have done?

"Why are you still here?"

Jane blinked at him.

"You brought me here," she said, a touch indignantly.

If Loki had not felt so wretched he might have laughed.

"Yes, I am aware," he said stiffly, "But I did not intend us to spend the rest of our lives together."

"That's good," said Jane quipped back, "Because I prefer your brother. Now come on, let me help you sit up."

Loki did not want to move. He would die here, that was fine by him, but Jane, perhaps motivated by vengeance, would not take no for an answer. Loki might have felt like he was falling apart but her presence beside him and her evident concern was distracting enough to help him separate himself a little from the onslaught. Jane was hurt too, he could see that in the way she held herself and flinched when she moved her arm, but she seemed only marginally interested in her own health.

"We shouldn't stay out here too long, the sun can get real fierce real quick," said Jane, shading her eyes and peering upwards, "I don't think we should go to my lab, they'll check there. There's a little bed and breakfast kind of place nearby though. Maybe there?"

Loki listened to her talk, a stream of uninterrupted thought.

"If I could get a message to Thor somehow, maybe we could figure something out."

"You think Thor is going to help me now that I've kidnapped you?" Loki asked with amused interest.

"Well, you haven't hurt me," said Jane matter of factly, "If you were going to do that you had your chance when you appeared in my trailer. I'm your protection. As long as I am close to you neither S.H.I.E.L.D nor anyone else will dare attack you."

"So you're not frightened?" Loki asked.

"Oh, I am," said Jane and some of the nervous confidence she had been showing fell away as she met his eyes, "But I'm in this now and I have reluctantly decided to trust you."

That was convenient, Loki thought, suppressing his surprise. It would be so much easier if Jane just did as she was told.

 

* * *

                               

"Where the hell are they?"

Fury was directing his troops and fielding calls all the while trying to ignore the threat of a very angry Thor. No one had any leads and although agents had already been sent to locations with connections to Jane it was a stab in the dark. Loki could have taken her anywhere and it did not seem likely that he would choose a place that she was intimately connected with already although Fury was ready to admit that he was not in the best position to guess Loki's motives and intentions. Arguably he had done a better job than the man steaming beside him, however, which made fielding his viscous attacks all the more galling.

"How can your people not have found a trace of them?" Thor demanded, "They have been gone for hours."

"If you've got a better method for tracking down your shape-shifting relative, I'm all ears," said Fury without turning around. In his mind this was all Thor's fault. He was the one who had brought Loki back to Earth, he was the one who had refused to heed caution and refused to acknowledge the mounting evidence that Loki was stronger than he pretended to be. And how many times had Fury stressed the importance of keeping civilians out of the way? He had very little sympathy for Jane at this point. He was more concerned with the repercussions of Loki being free in the world and was determined not to take any more chances. The moment they located him, Fury was ending this once and for all.

"Have you contacted Stark and Banner?" Thor asked, "Their technology appears to exceed your own."

"Yes," said Fury through gritted teeth, "I have had the pleasure of enduring a very long, very infuriating I-told-you-so speech from Tony Stark. He has agreed to play a role once Loki has been located but he does not believe his technology can find him any faster than ours."

"What kind of a role?" Thor asked, "What will he need to do once Loki has been found?"

Fury turned slowly on the spot and fixed Thor with a piercing glare.

"It should be perfectly evident to you by now that your approach with Loki has been flawed. The moment we find him, before he can become any stronger than he already is, we are going to take him out. I suggest you make peace with that very quickly or you will yourself facing the same threat."

Fury braced himself for a brash display of dominance but instead Thor's shoulders sank, the air leaving his lungs in a low sigh.

"I will do it," he said and Fury saw the way his fingers flexed, "I will kill Loki."

 


	17. Free

 

The man behind the reception desk was giving them an odd look. It was understandable. Loki, dressed as he was in Asgardian gear and looking like he was moments from passing out, was leaning heavily on Jane who was struggling to hold him. She beamed at the receptionist, a full on toothy grin.

"It was his birthday," she said, "Milestone year."

The receptionist answered with a nod, his eyes still narrowed at Loki who chose that moment to scowl at him.

"Okay!" said Jane trying to keep her voice light through the strain, "Well, I think we'd be getting to our room. Someone needs a lie down."

Quite how she managed to manoeuvre Loki into the lift and then down the narrow corridor into their tiny rented room Jane did not know. She felt a little superhuman herself as she sank down onto the only chair. Loki was lying on the bed and he did not look good. Despite her own exhaustion, Jane forced herself up and over to him.

"Loki?"

She sat down on the edge of the bed. Strangely the fact they were in a tiny room together made her feel much more nervous than she had felt out in the desert. Loki, however, looked more fragile than ever.

"Loki, can I ask you a question?"

Loki sighed.

"If you promise not to make me move again you can ask me whatever you like."

"You don't have to move," said Jane. She repositioned herself so that she was leaning back against the headboard. It was oddly intimate sitting like this on a thin motel bed with Loki lying beside her, his head parallel to her hip, his long legs draped over the end of the mattress. He did not look entirely comfortable but if he did not want to move that was fine with her. As he had his eyes closed Jane was free to examine his face. If he had been healthy and unmarked by the various traumas he had endured he would have easily been a match for his brother in the handsome stakes although they were so different that it was hard to compare them. Thinking of Thor and the frantic search that must be taking place to find the pair of them, Jane framed her thoughts into a question.

"Loki?"

"Mm?"

"What is your plan?"

"To disappear."

"Back to Asgard?"

"The Realm of Asgard desires my presence even less than your own."

"Then where will you go?"

"Why do you ask?" said Loki wearily.

"Because Thor cares about you. You are his..."

"Do not say it. I have heard the same lie my whole life. I wish to be free of it."

Jane did not push her luck. If Loki was planning on leaving Earth without harming it (or her) then she would be happy. Silence lapsed between them and Jane felt tiredness weigh heavily upon her as the excitement of the day made its presence known. She shifted gently, not wanting to disturb Loki, until she was lying with her head resting on the thin pillow. Outside the window, the heat of New Mexico wound down, while inside two of the most unlikely bedfellows fell simultaneously into dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

 

It was their presence drawing closer that woke him, the unmistakeable sense of approaching danger. Loki lay still in the darkness, sharpening his focus, deciding how much time had. Enough. They were not close enough to worry him yet but they were drawing nearer. Loki was all too aware of the limits of his own powers. They may have returned enough to allow him to know that his enemies were coming but he could not face them. He needed a lot more time for that.

It was the sensation of heat beside him that made him remember that he was not alone.

Turning his head he saw the sleeping Jane, curled like a child, facing him, so close to him that it was almost alarming. She had seemed somehow more than human a few short hours ago when she had decided to help him but what was she now? No more than a spark sheltered by a pathetic mortal shell. How naively trusting she was, lying beside him, believing herself safe in a cocoon of sleep.

Loki moved away from her, standing in the tiny room as light from the street beyond fell across the bed in a narrow strip. Jane slept on as Loki moved to stand over her. Did she believe him to be as soft and weak  hearted as Thor? Did she mistake his restraint for affection? He could kill her where she lay, wrap his hands around her throat and watch her wake to death. Thor would not doubt him then. What better way to communicate the hatred that consumed him?

Jane released a sleepy sigh as Loki stood watching her, the darkness that had been inflicted upon him filling his soul and casting black shadows over his heart.

 

* * *

 

"We've found them."

Magic words. Thor dared not ask too many questions, not because he was afraid of Fury's wrath but because the answers were too painful to contemplate. He could not bring himself to consider the worst possibilities. He had to focus on the task he had volunteered to perform. He knew Fury doubted him, knew that Stark and Banner were on standby if he failed, but Thor refused to doubt himself. If Loki had harmed Jane in any way killing him would be easy, if he had not (pray he had not!) then Mjolnir would be a heavy weight in his hand, a weight that would match the heaviness in his heart, but he would somehow have to find the strength do what needed to be done.

The location was Jane's home town. Thor was surprised at first but wariness had set in quickly. Loki's methods were deliberate. If he had chosen a well known, likely to be searched for location then it stood to reason that he wanted to be found. Thor did not like the scenes that played out in his mind when he wondered what Loki might want him to discover.

"Are you ready for this?" one of the agents asked. They were the words of Nick Fury, Thor was sure of that.

"I am ready."

They had not given Thor the precise destination, he knew they did not want him going it alone. They did not want to give him the opportunity to change his mind. It was past midnight when they reached the town. Sleep hung heavy in the air contrasting jarringly with the hyper alertness of the S.H.I.E.L.D swat team. Thor cast his eyes over the buildings that Jane must have passed a thousand times. The awnings on the shop fronts were worn and rusting, the shutters adorning many of the windows in need of repair. It was a tired, dusty, stagnant sort of place. No doubt Loki had viewed it all with derision, his preconceived ideas of the backwards nature of humanity confirmed, but Thor saw it all so differently. Behind every front door lay a home. Behind every drawn pair of curtains, a soul, a life, a family. This was a community every bit as important and relevant as those across the universe on Asgard. But what use were these arguments against Loki who remained blinded by his superiority and hatred? What would he ever see in Jane - a mere mortal - that would be worth saving?

"In there."

The agent closest to Thor pointed at a three storey building that had certainly seen better days. Battered letters above the door read 'MOTEL'. Unsure as to what that meant, Thor gripped Mjolnir. All he needed was to see Jane safe, that was all he wanted, then he would be able to do anything.  

The owner of the motel was quickly silenced with a clinical strike to the head. Thor watched the man crumple with a shameful lack of compassion. If this man had allowed something terrible to happen on his own premises then unconsciousness was the least of his worries. The agents were waiting for him to proceed before them. They had their orders.

"Room six," said their leader in a soft whisper. Thor nodded.

 

* * *

 

The sound of splintering wood was closely followed by a scream. People were flooding into the room, faces covered, gun sights trained on the figure lying across the bed. Instinct made Jane throw her arms over her head. One thought flashed across her terrified mind - _I am going to die_.

"Jane!"

Before she knew what was happening she was being enveloped by strong arms and lifted from the bed. Her fear reaching new heights she hit her attacker, kicking and struggling as hard as she could.

"Jane, it's me!"

"Thor?"

Someone had flicked on the light and the scene was revealed as it truly was. Eight S.H.I.E.L.D agents with weapons cocked, one demi-god and one terrified woman held aloft in his arms. Jane felt all the breath leave her in a rush as she buried her face in Thor's neck.

"Thank god it's you!"

She wanted to breathe him in but Thor was already placing her back down on the floor, his eyes raking her all over.

"Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

"Who? Loki?" Jane's brain did not seem to be working at full speed. "No, he didn't hurt me, Thor. I'm fine, honestly, I'm..."

A buzz filled the room, the low voices of agents distracting Jane from her own thoughts. Thor too looked round and then froze, his hands tightening their grip on her arms. Jane turned to see what everyone was staring at. At first she only saw the empty bed, messy with dishevelled covers, and could not understand what was so fascinating but then she noticed the writing, black letters that seemed to have been burned into the wall. Her blood ran cold as she read what everyone else had already seen.

 

                **I LET HER LIVE**

There was no other sign of him. Loki was gone.

 

* * *

 

_Three months later_

 

Pepper was ready with the champagne, setting out glasses with the supreme confidence of someone who has absolute faith. Tony was a lot less sure than he normally was that this faith was justified. Their first tests and the subsequent adjustments had produced less than stellar results but the Stark Transporter was finally ready for another shot. Bruce was checking and re-checking his calculations, his nerves putting everyone on edge. Tony strode over to him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Too late for that," he said, snatching the notebook from Bruce's hands and silencing his protest, "It's show time."

Erik and Darcy were talking with Jane, their voices light and joyful as birds. Tony was keen to ride their vibe but he could see that Thor was making a beeline for him and there was no time to escape.

"Is it going to work?" he asked without preamble.

"Well, that's the thing, Chris Jericho, we don't know until we test it."

"This is the third time you have summoned us here," said Thor, humourless as ever, "And so far you have been unable to reach Asgard. If Loki has reached..."

"Simmer down, champ," said Tony who objected strongly to the amount of physicality on display, "Your bro wasn't exactly in the best of shapes when he left here, what makes you think he'd even pose a threat to your people?"

"You underestimate Loki at your peril."

"Look," said Bruce inserting himself between them, "Shall we just get on with things? I'm very hopeful about this one."

Thor reluctantly backed away.

"Jeez," said Tony, "The guy hasn't made a single contribution yet we get all the attitude."

"He feels responsible," said Bruce stooping to pick his discarded notebook up off the floor, "Loki escaped on his watch."

"Still..."

"Let it go, Tony," said Bruce with a smile, "When this works he'll be kissing your feet along with the rest of the world."

Tony grinned and clapped his hands, spinning on the spot to face his audience. Pepper, standing in the corner, caught his eye and smiled. He could not be sure but he thought he saw her mouth the words _it's-going-to-work_.

"Ladies and gentleman, let's not waste any more of my precious time. We have recalibrated, repositioned, revamped and otherwise revitalised the Stark Transporter and now it's time to see what she can do."

Erik was the only one who was looking excited. He wore the same expression as he had done on all the previous test runs, endlessly hopeful, a true and proper scientist. The others simply looked nervous or, in Thor's case, grim. He of little faith.

"If my lovely assistant would do the honours..."

Bruce rolled his eyes and began tapping away at the screen closest to him. Another screen unfolded before them, a modification that Tony had made personally.

"Okay," said Bruce, "Five...four...three...two...one..."

The lights in the room flickered and dimmed, a high pitch whine cut through the air making the women flinch. All eyes were on the blank screen. Tony knew that if nothing happened within the first few seconds nothing would happen. He counted. One...two...three...

Black emptiness was replaced by a frantic burst of colour which swirled and settled. Excitement flew around the room but Tony was only interested in the screen. Was it malfunctioning or was it focusing? He took a step closer, his eyes searching for patterns amongst the chaos and then, he saw it, a face that was slowly coming into sharper definition.

"What sorcery is this?"

A voice belonging to another world spoke to them through the millions of miles that separated them.

"Heimdall!"

Thor hurried forwards, stepping too close to the screen as if he expected to be able to pass through it. Bruce threw out an arm to stop him.

"Communication only, remember?" he said kindly.

"Heimdall!" said Thor, booming out his words, "Do you see me?"

"Thor! By Odin's grace, you are alive!"

The gold clad warrior figure was smiling, beaming, and the whole room could see it. Tony felt momentarily weak with the immensity of his achievement.

"I am!" cried Thor happily, "I speak to you from Earth."

Heimdall was shaking his head, overcome by emotion. Suddenly he was pushed aside and someone else appeared. A strikingly beautiful woman dressed in less ostentatious but still impressive warrior gear.

"Thor! The whole kingdom has been so concerned for your safety!"

She too did not seem to understand the concept of a projected image for she reached for him and Thor too raised his hand as if to take hers. Tony shot a look behind him at Jane who, standing between Erik and Darcy, was giving nothing away.

"Sif, oh, it is good to see you! Tell me, how does Asgard fare?"

"Well," said Sif, smiling, "Your father still sleeps but your mother has been our light and guide. She longs for you to return."

"And will my return be permitted?" Thor asked, only the slightest note of tension in his words to betray the depth of emotion behind the question.

"Yes, Thor," said Sif, "You are hailed a hero as ever you were."

"And Loki?"

"Loki?" Sif repeated looking puzzled, "I presumed he would be with you if your attempt to rescue him was a success."

"He has not returned to Asgard?"

"No," said Sif, bemused, "No one has seen him."

"Heimdall?"

The gold clad warrior returned into the frame.

"What do you see?"

"Loki has long since learned to shield himself from my gaze," came the reply, "I can be of no use to you."

"Worry not of Loki," said Sif, "All that matters is that you come home."

Thor's face fell.

"I cannot," he said, "My friends have been kind enough to work tirelessly to find a way to communicate with you but I cannot be transported. I do not know how long it will take for that to be possible."

Paradoxically, Sif's smile became wider than ever.

"You do not understand, Thor," she said, "The Bifrost has been repaired. The tesseract's power has restored it. We have only awaited your sign and lived in such fear that we would never find it."

Thor turned away from the screen. He only had eyes for Jane who he blessed with a delighted smile. She moved towards him, clearly nervous of being seen and judged by the Asgardians who were watching.

"Jane," he said, formally, "Would you do me the honour of coming to stay with me in Asgard?"

Jane's jaw dropped. She looked from Thor's eager face to her friends who stood behind her. Erik was nodding, there was no doubting that he would have jumped at the chance, and Darcy was swooning as if she had just been witness to a marriage proposal. Tony looked over at Pepper and saw that she had tears in her eyes too.

"On one condition," said Jane as a mischievous smile spread over her face, "I want my friends to come too."

 

* * *

              

Twenty four hours later and the same group, plus Agent Hill, Director Fury and a wheelchair bound Agent Coulson, were assembled in the middle of the New Mexico desert far enough away from any habitation to ensure that when the Bifrost opened no one would see it happen. Pepper had not stopped scolding Coulson for insisting on travelling with them and waiting under the hot sun when he should have been recovering in a peaceful, stable environment back in the S.H.I.E.L.D hospital facility. Coulson bore her affectionate reproach with good humour whereas Tony grew exasperated.

"Leave the man alone," he snapped, "He's been a vegetable for over a year and who knows when his next near death experience might be? Let him have a moment!"

"Thanks," said Coulson dryly but when he caught Tony's eye he knew that his assumed indifference and Pepper's worry all came from the same place. He had been overwhelmed by the reaction his apparently miraculous recovery had provoked. Agents he had barely spoken to had broken down in tears over his bed. Director Fury had been so overcome he'd had to leave the room. Agent Hill had barely left his side since, refusing a number of high profile assignments in favour of being his personal connection to what he had missed. Natasha and Clint had flown in all the way from St Petersburg to see him. Natasha had been sporting a ring on her left hand and when Coulson, in his new capacity as invalid in chief, had mentioned it the Black Widow - master spy and assassin - had blushed to the roots of her hair. Bruce Banner's visit had perhaps been the most thoughtful. He had brought with him a selection of reading that he had amassed during his self induced exile. Coulson was halfway through Ulysses and had to admit he felt better for it. Tony's abrupt and unsympathetic bedside manner had been countered by Pepper's flowers and chocolates and promises of weekly visits, promises she had dutifully kept.

A burst of laughter interrupted Coulson's musing. Darcy and Erik, the only ones missing from the party, had just arrived and Darcy was unloading the world's most gigantic suitcase from the trunk of the car.

"What?" she enquired at all the amused faces around her, "I don't know how long we'll be gone!"

"I can assure you," said Thor, his lips twitching, "You have no need for any of that."

"Oh yeah?" said Darcy, her eyes flashing with the challenge, "You got leg wax on Asgard? I've seen what I'm going to have to compete with!"

Jane rushed in to pacify her while the others struggled to master themselves. Even Nick Fury had a twinkle in his eye.

Soon it was time for goodbyes. People were hugging, clapping each other on the shoulder and shaking hands. Coulson received a kiss on the cheek from Jane as he wished her luck. She beamed at him giving no indication that she was the least bit apprehensive about being sucked through a wormhole in space and deposited on an alien land. For her, it was the chance of a lifetime. When Thor came round Coulson seized his opportunity to say what he had been meaning to say ever since the doctors had told him that in time he would make a full recovery.  

"Thor, may I have a word?"

Everyone else was distracted by their farewells as Thor dutifully bent down so that he was on a level with Coulson's chair.

"What has happened to me can be summed up briefly by the word 'complicated'," said Coulson, "But I wanted to ask you to do something for me if you happen to see Loki again."

Thor tensed. Loki's name was not one that was bandied about lightly. He was there in the back of everyone's mind, the unknown quantity, the invisible threat and although Coulson was aware of all of these things, he felt something else too.

"If you see him, before you do whatever it is you have to do, just...tell him thanks."

"You want me to thank Loki?" Thor asked incredulously.

"Yes," said Coulson with a small smile, "If you'd be so kind."

 

* * *

               

Finally, with all the goodbyes done and everyone ready, Thor raised his face to the sky. His three companions were standing around him, fierce excitement on two of their faces, plain old fear on the other.

"Heimdall," said Thor, his voice ringing out loud and clear, "Open the Bifrost. Take us home."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> I am toying with the idea of a sequel but not committing to anything yet.


End file.
